EVSC School Board signals their support for district's reopening plan, few details released
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Although the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation's announced reopening plan lacked specifics about COVID-19 prevention measures, school board members said they are confident those details are being thoroughly worked out.
On Tuesday, Superintendent David Smith announced the district's reopening plan in an online podcast, with students expected to return to traditional learning environments at schools on Aug. 5.
However, the announcement didn't include specific measures for implementing social distancing, mask-wearing, class sizes and other safety measures for preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
EVSC said those policies aren't yet firmly established and officials wouldn't provide further details.
On Thursday, School board member David Hollingsworth, and other trustees, expressed their appreciation for Smith and others who have set the basis for a reopening plan they believe is focused on providing a safe learning environment for students and faculty.
"As of right now, I think we have a great plan," he said. "But again, things are subject to change. There's concerns everywhere, and we're working on everything as fast as we can."
The EVSC plans to welcome back all students at the same time. While returning to a "brick and mortar setting" is the default approach, Smith said, the corporation will give families who may have compromising health issues or are forced to self-quarantine the option to learn through virtual instruction.
Students also have the option to enroll in the EVSC Virtual Academy, a program tailored for students seeking a remote learning option long-term, for as short as a semester and as long as a full school year.
To limit the spread of COVID-19, the EVSC will employ social distancing, the use of masks and other safety measures largely under the district guidelines and policies.
School Board President Jeff Worthington said Smith has worked diligently to provide information and updates to trustees as he's received direction from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and state health officials.
"As Dr. Smith has received guidelines from the state, he has updated the board through emails and video presentations," Worthington wrote in an email.
School board member Karen Ragland said the board worked side-by-side with the administration to carry out plans for the district's reopening. While EVSC officials, teachers and committee members mapped out many of the potential procedures, she said the board asked questions to ensure every scenario can be met.
"I'm proud we've been able to cover every facet," Ragland said. "When we were presented with different scenarios and options, my head was spinning. I appreciate the administrators and the input from teachers. This has taken a collective effort to even organize what's been presented this far."
So far, the EVSC has considered a number of potential safety measures to implement in schools across the district.
Along with limiting traffic flow in school hallways and analyzing the structures of classrooms and learning spaces, EVSC spokesman JasoWoebkenberg told the Courier & Press Wednesday that the EVSC will continue to process the use of masks, with students possibly wearing them in high-capacity areas and taking them off in more intimate learning spaces.
Hollingsworth said he spoke with Smith Thursday morning to discuss how school transportation would look next school year. As of now, the plan is to place two students with masks on each bus seat, with drivers having the option to wear masks or face shields, he said.
Board member Ann Ennis said the district has accounted for all families' needs and concerns and will continue working to provide more deliberate answers.
"We're looking at every possibility," she said. "I fully support what we're going to be able to do here."
As administrators continue to carve out reopening plans, Ennis said the district will be flexible and adjust to ongoing changes as they take place.
"This is a rapidly moving, changing, fluid process," she said. "And just because now we're starting Aug. 5 doesn't mean that the Vanderburgh County Health Department or Governor Eric Holcomb won't change that."
School board member Andrew Guarino said he's confident Smith and his team will put forth a safe and secure reopening strategy under state and federal health guidelines.
The Courier & Press attempted to contact the remaining school board members, but they didn't respond to emails or voice messages by deadline.
In the next six weeks, the district will continue to share information as more plans are outlined by district officials and team members, Ennis said.
The EVSC will release a survey and host a Facebook Live as an opportunity to disseminate information and hear families' input in the decisions being made going forward. A time and date for those avenues will be announced at a later date.