Central students head back to school next week
By Pam Reinig, Times-Register
In less than a week, Central students will head back to school, where things will be quite different than they were when the building was abruptly closed in mid-March to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Face coverings will be required on buses and expected in buildings, especially in classes where social distancing is difficult. Stairwell traffic will be one-direction; lunch will be served to elementary students by class, not grade; and before-school gatherings in the foyer area will be discouraged.
To help students understand these changes and others, they will return to school next week in smaller groups that will meet from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on one specified day. Students in grades 9-12 will return Monday, Aug. 24; grades 6-8, Tuesday, Aug. 25; and K-5, Wednesday, Aug. 26. All students will report for all-day, in-person instruction beginning Thursday, Aug. 27.
The decision to hold in-person classes, which is known as Central’s Return to Learn Plan, was recently finalized after school board work sessions, careful review of state guidelines and numerous meetings of area school administrators, including Nick Trenkamp, Central’s superintendent and elementary principal.
“In a typical year, the superintendents meet once a month,” said Trenkamp. “Since this started, we’ve met weekly and sometimes twice a week to talk about our shared issues.”
Trenkamp said more than 95 percent of Central students are expected to return to school. Families were given the option to participate in remote learning; less than 5 percent selected that option. To assist them and students who might need to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 or are exposed to it, the school has made a significant investment in new technology. They have purchased several video conferencing cameras that shift focus to different people in a room when they speak, giving at-home students a 360-degree view of their classroom.
The equipment cost about $30,000. Central paid for it using federal funds the school received as part of a COVID relief package. Funds were also used to purchase two masks for every student and faculty and staff member.
Central also has a good supply of cleaning products, though some substitutions were necessary.
“The whole world must use Clorox wipes,” Trenkamp said, with a laugh. “We couldn’t get those, but we were able to get a great spray product and lots of paper towels.”
While the majority of the cleaning will fall to the school’s four-person custodial team, Trenkamp is hopeful everyone will pitch in.
Trenkamp is looking forward to a great start to a new school year, but he knows issues will arise. The biggest and most concerning is what to do if—or, more accurately, when—a student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. The state has set the following guidelines for schools to follow: When a case is reported, the school nurse will be responsible for contact tracing. She’ll be looking for anyone who had exposure to an infected individual. “Exposure” is defined as a being within six feet of a COVID-positive individual for 15 minutes or more. Anyone who meets the “exposure” parameters will need to isolate at home for 14 days.
“Under state guidelines, it’s possible that it would not be necessary to shut down an entire class,” Trenkamp said. “The key is the distancing between students. In some of our upper-level classes, there might be only six or seven students, so keeping them apart is easier.” Most classes at Central have 15 to 16 students, he added.
Trenkamp also pointed out that social distancing is easier due to extensive renovations throughout the building. The former lunch area, for example, was in the basement and was accessible by way of a narrow stairway. The new, open cafeteria allows better traffic flow and spacing of students. The new, second-floor media center is also more conducive to distancing than the old library.
“We’re fortunate to have as much open space as we have,” Trenkamp added. “Will things be perfect and go absolutely smoothly, probably not. But my gut tells me it’s time to get back to school, time to get a routine started. I really do believe things will go well.”
