Starke County’s school superintendents are planning their next steps, after hearing the state’s guidance on school reopening. The Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana State Department of Health discussed reentry guidelines during a webinar for school leaders Tuesday. On Wednesday, local superintendents met with the Starke County Health Department to review that information.
Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch says school officials are still in the process of gathering information to help their school corporations start making policies. “All the schools are wanting to work together and trying to be consistent,” Lynch explains. “That way, it’s across the board, and it’s more simplified and easily understood for the parents and teachers and everybody.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box has stressed the importance of wearing masks for at least part of the school day, but Lynch says it will be up to each school board to figure out when they might be required.
He adds that the superintendents are also thinking about happens if there’s a positive case, “They’re wanting to remain flexible, as far as whether we’re going to have to shut down just a certain classroom or if it’s going to be a particular building, but of course, all of that’s going to depend on what type of information is gathered during the investigation and contact tracing of a case when one comes up.”
Lynch says school officials aren’t sure they’ll be able to take every child’s temperature, and schools may have to rely on parents to monitor their kids.
He tells families to expect school closures, be patient, and be flexible, when the new school year gets underway.
