Othello, Warden schools work on fall plans

OTHELLO — How schools will reopen has been decided in some districts and is still under discussion in others.

Othello School District will start its school year with all instruction online, while Warden School District officials are still hoping to have students on campus part of the time.

All schools statewide were closed in March as part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak and stayed closed for the rest of the school year.

The Othello School Board approved a reopening plan July 28. The vote came after extensive discussion and a review by Superintendent Chris Hurst of information from Adams County Health Department. Pete Perez, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said the district will be in a better position to provide online instruction than it was when schools were closed in the spring. Teachers will be required to interact with students every day, and the district will require a minimum weekly amount of live online instruction. Attendance will be taken every day, Perez said.

All district buildings were closed in the spring, but they’ll be open this fall, and teachers will be expected to be at school, Perez said. District officials will keep records of the amount of time students are working online. Efforts are being made to help families gain access to a reliable internet connection. Alternative arrangements will be made for families that have trouble getting online.

Warden School District Superintendent Dave LaBounty said the goal is to start school with students on campus at least part of the time. However, Grant County Health District may not approve the district’s plan if the coronavirus is too active. “We have to be ready for that,” LaBounty said.

Even if students are allowed on campus, they will only be at school part of the time, he said. The remaining instruction would be online.

All adults and children coming on campus would have daily screenings and would be required to wear masks. Spaces would be set up to maintain social distancing. Everyone would enter and leave through a designated door.

But online classes, in whole or in part, will be required at the start of the school year.

The district is better prepared for online instruction than it was in the spring, LaBounty said. Every student will have access to a computer, and district officials are working to increase access to an internet connection for families that lack it.

LaBounty credited a special capital levy approved by voters in 2019 that increased funding for technology upgrades. That helped district officials address the areas where adequate equipment and connectivity had been lacking, he said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].