Grantsburg plans to open school in the fall
School days, school days
Dear old Golden Rule days
‘Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hick’ry stick
In 1907 when Will D. Cobb and Gus Edwards penned the lyrics to their famous song, they could hardly have foreseen what school would be like in 2020.
While reading, writing, and arithmetic are still important factors, the hickory stick is gone and the latest arrival is whether or not to hold school in the light of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
With one eye on the virus, school officials have set out to plan a potential fall opening of school.
One of the schools taking the lead is Grantsburg, which last week voted to open on September 1, right after Labor Day.
Grantsburg Superintendent, Josh Watt, is entering his second full year in that position.
“Here in Grantsburg, the safety of everyone is most important in making decisions,” said Superintendent Josh Watt.
“Getting kids back to school is just part of the equation,” he added.
“The planning has been very challenging. Right now it’s in draft form because we don’t know what September 1 will look like,” added the superintendent.
While Grantsburg has taken the forefront in announcing plans to reopen, Supt. Watt said, “I think many schools have made announcements on initial planning.” Several schools in the CESA 11 (Cooperative Educational Service Agency) area have been studying plans to open school.
He added, “No decisions are made lightly. There has been a lot of planning.” The idea is to “Give parents time to plan and know the planning process. Parents need time to make decisions.”
Certainly among the indicators that support their decision is the fact, “Burnett County is one of the lowest Covid-19 positive rate and death rates counties in the state (of Wisconsin).”
Also part of the equation is the mental health of students.
“The dramatic change in routines (has been difficult),” said Supt. Watt, adding, “They (kids) enjoy being with their friends and teachers and all the daily interaction.”
While Supt. Watt believes Grantsburg has a strong distance education plan and that it worked well last spring, “Not all students learn best in an online environment.”
“As people, we are so social — and the strong relationships formed in classrooms are sorely missed,” he added.
Schools have become places where kids eat, enjoy recreation, and learn. But most of that ceased to exist when the Coronavirus moved in and shut down the schools.
The decision to open came after extensive planning, contact with parents, including a thorough survey and straight adherence to health and safety concerns.
“There are contradictory challenges out there that make it tough to plan,” said Supt. Watt. For instance, the American Pediatrics Society changed its stance within a two-week time frame.
That’s not uncommon because it’s all, “Relatively unknown,” said Supt. Watt.
“We look at the local data and that drives decisions,” he said.
About 42 percent of district-wide residents responded to the survey and 65.8 percent said they would send their kids back to school and 23.6 percent said they “likely” would send their kids. Only 11 percent were “unlikely” or said “no”.
While, as Supt. Watt said, “We are not experiencing this (high virus numbers) in Burnett County at this time, it doesn’t mean we can’t.”
He added, “The greatest challenge is that we just don’t know what the virus will be like on September 1.”
It’s possible a “hybrid” of going to school and home-learning could be dictated by the virus.
“We’ll rely on medical experts and operate on the assumption the virus reacts the same for all people,” said the superintendent.
The survey showed great confidence in the school district, with 60.1 percent saying they’d rather have kids go Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday than to have kids go a week and take a week off. Only 22.4 percent supported that plan.
“One of the great unknowns is the planning,” said Supt. Watt.
The givens in the plan to open school will include cleaning, disinfecting, use of masks and/or face shields, plexiglass, and gloves where necessary. To that extent, a director of cleaning and disinfecting is being hired.
The plan includes managing population density, social distancing, holding down the number of people in groups, and limiting the numbers in the buildings and on the grounds. Those determined to be ill or showing effects will be sent home.
“It will depend on what we are seeing locally regarding the spread of the virus,” said Supt. Watt.
By a large margin, the most important factor for parents, according to the survey, was to keep the buildings clean and disinfected. That concern resonated with 95 percent of those answering the survey. About 85 percent want to see hand sanitizers in the schools.
Altogether, about 94.2 percent felt kids could go to school every day if the facility is properly sanitized.
A potential closing of the facility could be done by the district itself, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, or the Burnett Country Department of Human Services.
Weighing all the data will determine the amount of time the school can be open.
The custodial staff will consult with the other agencies and an attempt to bring in outdoor air through open windows and doors.
“It’s really important for our families to know our school district wants to work with our families. So, if they have concerns, reach out to our principals and talk about options,” said Supt. Watt.
He added, “We have a lot of options for our students and parents. And we encourage them to reach out.”
Will there be Sports?
Right now, the best answer is, “I don’t know,” said Supt. Watt
“We are waiting for more information from WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association). At this time, it seems fall sports plan to go ahead, but that could change at any point,” said Supt. Watt.
“I really hope for our kids, parents — especially the students — we’ll have a season in place. We’ll do everything we can. It might mean limited crowds and spectators for events, but I’m really hoping we’ll have a sports season,” said the superintendent.
Facts to know:
- About 45.9 percent of parents said their kids would take the school bus with 50.8 percent taken to the school by the parents. A high 74.2 percent on the survey were not concerned the bus drivers wear face masks.
- Students and other school workers responded at a rate of 64 percent when asked if they “strongly agreed” with the school opening in the fall. Another 26.6 percent agreed.
- Meal services will be included. But an additional senior high lunch period will be added and, “Grab and Go Breakfasts” will be installed.