Twin Rivers lays out return to learn plan

The Twin Rivers R-X school board approved a return to learn plan for students and staff Tuesday night, although it could see additions before the year starts.

Dr. Ben Johnson, superintendent, who started this month, presented the board with a three-tier plan to address the main options based on how COVID-19 cases are trending and advice from the Butler County Health Department.

These plans include: A, largely in-person school with additional protocols in place; B, a blended learning plan; and C, entirely remote learning.

Johnson worked with a committee from all district campuses to come up with the plans and took surveys from parents.

He said, based on the survey results he’s seen so far, which is not all of them, around 97% of parents support returning to school with some or little to no concerns.

“I think that speaks to where the community is at,” Johnson said.

Under plan A, all classes will take place in school buildings. The district will put in place additional cleaning and safety protocols in places such as buses and lunch tables.

Social distancing will also be used as much as possible, Johnson said, and the district will minimize large gatherings, such as assemblies. Visitors will be limited.

“We want to promote the fact that we love our kids and our primary function, our responsibility is the education of kids, but we’re going to do it in a safe and secure manner,” Johnson said.

Under plan B, all classes will take place in school buildings, but may be organized into cohorts. Visitors in the district will not be allowed and all large gatherings will be canceled or postponed.

The plan lays out an A-B schedule to reduce the number of students on campus at one time. Under this, a group of students will attend classes Monday and Tuesday while the other would attend Thursday and Friday.

Johnson said Wednesday would be used to clean and sanitize the campuses. Students would have alternative methods of instruction (AMI) for days they aren’t on campus. It would be a work day for teachers to take care of what they need to and provide online material, extra instruction or Zoom sessions with students.

Plan C leans on those AMI options if the buildings need to be shut down completely. The plan accounts for providing devices for students who need them to do school work.

For those parents who don’t feel comfortable sending students to school, Johnson said, the district is prepared to provide Plan C on a semester-by-semester basis. If parents choose that, their student would not be able to participate in extracurriculars such as sports, he said.

Johnson said masks will not be required for any of these plan options, as of now, but staff and students have the option to wear one if they want. Nurses will have some in case somebody becomes symptomatic at school, but otherwise they won’t be provided.

The district will also not conduct temperature checks on students, he said.

“I agree with that because not only does that slow down (movement), but it also creates log jams in your hallways, which you don’t want because then they’re crowded together,” he said.

Nurses will have thermometers and if somebody starts to show symptoms, their temperature will be checked. Johnson said a 100 degree fever will mean a concern a person is showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19, although it may not mean they have the illness.

Under both in-person plans, hand sanitizer stations will be available.

“We’re in Plan A until the state comes in,” Johnson said. “These plans can change at any notice, depending on what the state wants to do. These are based on recommendations from the Butler County Health Department and the CDC.”

Board members asked Johnson to look into a liability waiver for parents to sign during registration on Aug. 11 and 13, similar to those that were at prom and graduation. They also asked that he work with the committee on potential COVID-19-related discipline for instances such as a student intentionally coughing on somebody else.

Staff will go over the plan in detail during professional development in mid-August, along with procedures and the flowchart of actions if somebody starts exhibiting symptoms. A summary of the plan will be available for parents on the district’s website and social media