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County school districts announce fall semester reopening plans

Justin Addison Editor/Publisher
Posted 7/14/20

It may be the middle of summer break, but the administrations for Howard County schools have been preparing plans for opening back up in the fall. The county emergency management office gave schools …

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County school districts announce fall semester reopening plans

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It may be the middle of summer break, but the administrations for Howard County schools have been preparing plans for opening back up in the fall. The county emergency management office gave schools the green light to open. Both Fayette and New Franklin public schools will begin the fall semesters on Tuesday, August 25. Glasgow will start the following day.

Schools each have individual plans that could change based on recommendations from Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Fayette’s planning committee met with local health officials on June 23 to review a baseline plan. Plans are being made that will be tailored for different possible coronavirus infection rates in the county. “We are continuing to review and revise our plan as we monitor conditions, but at this point with the low spread in the community we plan to return students to school on Tuesday, August 25 as planned in our original school calendar,” said Fayette Superintendent Jill Wiseman.

Students in Howard County will have been away from classrooms for approximately five months when schools return in the fall. Schools shut down in mid-March with the hopes of reopening on April 1. After another delay, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced that schools across the state would remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Spring sports and proms were canceled, and graduations were postponed until June.

Schools are hoping that informed planning can allow students to return in the fall.

“There will be modifications and safety precautions in place based on the current status of the county,” Wiseman explained. “We have been busy installing hand sanitizing stations and putting various other modifications in place to promote student and staff safety.  We will continue to research and monitor information from the state and CDC as it seems the recommendations and updates change daily. More information will be coming out for parents soon as we finalize details regarding back-to-school information.”

Likewise, New Franklin Superintendent Brian Cordel, in a letter to parents on July 7, announced that New Franklin schools plan to re-open as normal in August. He said the decision was made following discussion with Howard County health representatives and the district’s Board of Education.

“As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its proximity to the county with very few if any recent cases in weeks, we feel this is a safe and highly requested solution. Should there be a sudden spike in cases, our decision may need to be re-evaluated and altered,” Cordel said.

Cordel said that while classes and activities will go on as normal, there will be precautions in place. Water fountains will be turned off, and students will be tasked with social distancing and more frequent hand washing. Busses will run as normal, but it will be encouraged that family members sit with one another. There will be no perfect attendance awards for at least the first semester. Students who spike a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be required to stay home for three days.

Masks will be allowed, however they will not be required unless the state deems them so. 

“New Franklin R-1 will do everything possible to keep your child safe while at school,” said Cordel. “This may all change as we receive further information and guidance from DESE or the State.”

The Glasgow Board of Education released a three-tiered Path to Recovery Plan for re-opening school in the fall. Phase I would be in effect should there be little to none active cases in the county. It would allow for students to return to school, but with modifications such as staggered lunch times to allow fewer students in the cafeteria at once, adjusted bus routes, and deep cleaning.

Phase II would be enacted if active cases should rise in the community. It would include further restrictions to student movements throughout school buildings and during lunch programs, and would make face masks and shield mandatory for everyone in the building.

Phase III would go into effect if a spike of cases occurred in the community and district. It would close the schools for a minimum of 14 days, during which time the district would revert to remote learning.

Glasgow Superintendent Sonya Fuemmeler emphasized that the three-phase plan is fluid, and could be changed on recommendations from DESE.

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