School will look a little different when Knox students return to class next month. The Knox School Board approved a COVID-19 plan for the coming school year Tuesday.
Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart said face masks will be recommended but optional, if current conditions hold, and families and staff would have to supply their own. “This is probably the hottest issue out there,” he said. “Each of us as superintendents, we’ve gone back and forth whether to require or not to require. I can tell you that from our parent survey, we had 71 percent of our parents indicate on the survey that if we required a face covering, they would hesitate to send their students to us here at Knox.”
Students probably won’t be going on field trips any time soon, and Reichhart warned that the school calendar may be adjusted, depending on the spread of the virus. “I’m going to warn everyone. Do not plan vacations for spring break, fall break, Christmas break because depending on where we are with COVID, any of those could be canceled and we could be in school during those times,” Reichhart said. “It’s just going to depend on how the COVID goes.”
When it comes to lunch, some high school students may be eating outside, to allow for social distancing. The middle school is planning separate lunch periods for each grade level, and elementary school students may take turns eating in their classrooms to limit the number of kids in the cafeteria.
High School Principal Glenn Barnes said students will not be given lockers unless they specifically request them. Superintendent Reichhart added that the schools will limit group labs, and students will not be allowed to share supplies. “One thing that we all know is that it will never be like it was, and that’s a huge thing for us in education because we like to have things the way they were and it’s not going to be that way,” Reichhart said. “And none of us will be happy about that change, but that’s what we’re dealing with, with the COVID thing.”
Knox Schools’ plan presents three paths to respond to COVID-19, depending on whether the local area is experiencing low or no spread, minimal or moderate spread, or substantial spread. Which option to follow will depend on guidance from the Starke County Health Department, as well as the governor’s orders. The school corporation may provide remote learning opportunities to students who are vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Going forward, Reichhart said each principal will work with their teachers to develop more specific building-level plans. But he stressed that plans are expected to change as conditions evolve.
