The Knox Community School Corporation is trying to make this school year as normal as possible for as long as possible. The first day of school is tomorrow.
“We’re going to try and make it as normal as we can until we find out that we’ve got to change things, but for right now, we’re full steam ahead and masks are optional,” Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart told the school board Tuesday. “And I’m looking forward to having a great year.”
While Knox was able to offer in-person learning through most of last school year, Board Member Mary Lynn Ritchie noted that many parts of the school experience still had to be adjusted. “I was with a group of third-graders – imagine that – boys, and they were just so excited that they got to play recess together because they didn’t, or they got to eat lunch together,” Ritchie said.
But the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 has led the CDC and the Indiana Department of Health to recommend wearing masks in schools, although the final decision is up to individual school boards. While Reichhart still anticipates a normal school year, Starke County’s low vaccination rate does pose some concern. “Only 34 percent of Starke County is vaccinated, so if it does hit us, it’s going to hit us pretty hard this time with this new variant,” Reichhart said.
School Board President Gary Dulin stressed that if spikes happen, the school corporation will work with the Starke County Health Department, and Reichhart said that so far, they’re all on the same page.
