Othello school reopening plan reviewed

OTHELLO — Othello schools will reopen to students for the 2020-21 school year, but on a staggered schedule. Othello School Board members gave verbal approval for district officials to keep working on the reopening plan at the regular board meeting July 13.

Board members will vote on the final plan at the July 27 meeting.

The proposed plan is an attempt to reopen schools during the COVID-19 outbreak, which closed schools in March. The district would use a combination of on-campus and online learning.

Board members reviewed the plan for about two hours, asking numerous questions. “Without a doubt there will be more questions,” said board chair Mike Garza.

Director of teaching and learning Pete Perez said district officials knew the plan would generate a lot of questions. A survey is planned to determine the reaction of parents, staff and district patrons, and to solicit additional questions and concerns.

Perez said kindergarten through eighth grade students will be at school half of each day. Whether they are on campus in the morning or afternoon would depend on where they live. Kids who live in town would be on campus in the morning.

The rest of the school day would be spent online. Kids would be expected to do the online work, Perez said.

Elementary teachers think it’s important to provide face to face instruction for students every day, Perez said. Students still would receive PE and art classes, although band and choir classes will have to be modified.

Othello High School students would attend class all day every other day, with half on campus on any given day. Students will be assigned to a schedule alphabetically, and by their choice of classes.

The OHS schedule will be modified to a four-period day. Due to the way high school credits are calculated, the OHS schedule will be in effect for the entire school year, Perez said.

High school students would still have seven credits for the year, Perez said. One semester will have three classes and one will have four classes, with four classes tentatively scheduled for the first semester. Perez said that is subject to change, depending on teacher and parent reaction.

There will be a provision for OHS students for a half-day, every day schedule, if family circumstances warrant.

Wherever they attend school, students will enter the building by a designated door, answer some health screening questions and have a temperature check. Students will be required to wear masks, and rooms will be set up to meet social distancing requirements.

All meals will be served in the classroom. Kindergarten through eighth grade students will receive a sack lunch if they attend morning classes, or a sack breakfast for the next day if they attend afternoon classes.

High school students will not be allowed to leave campus for lunch.

Kids will be required to wear a mask when they’re riding the bus, and the windows will be open when weather permits. Children will have to practice social distancing while they’re on the bus.

Perez said the current regulation requires a two-week quarantine of the contacts of a person diagnosed with coronavirus. District officials still are working on plans for the response to a positive test. Perez said he expects a positive test sometime during the year. “Not if, but when,” he said.

High school students automatically fail a class if they miss more than 10 days. Perez said that rule could be waived if a student is quarantined.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.