DANVILLE — The Danville Local Schools board of education passed the district’s Reset and Restart Plan for the 2020-2021 school year at their meeting Monday night.
Superintendent Jason Snively, who released the plan to the school’s website Tuesday night, said that the plan is the best for the school’s situation.
“Everyone has different needs,” Snively said. “We’re trying to address all of them.”
The plan lists two plans that are based on the designated risk level, or the color-coded system, given by the state. Plan 1 would occur at risk level 1 or 2 and would provide students with on-campus instruction that is given via technology. Students do have the option to start the year out doing off-campus remote learning.
Plan 2 would occur at risk levels 3 and 4 and would involve students in grade 4-12 doing remote learning off-campus at least 1 to 2 days a week. Students in grades K-3 may be on campus in small groups to receive instruction.
Each plan also includes some daily protocols that will be put in place. Face coverings are required by all students when riding the bus or when they are entering and exiting the building. Students in grades 3-12 are required to wear a mask when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained, such as in the hallways, in line in the cafeteria and common areas. At this time, preschool through second graders are recommended to wear masks in the classrooms but are not required.
Social distancing of 3 - 6 feet must be maintained at all times and students must remain with their homeroom cohort throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch will be picked up and students will eat in their homerooms. Students should do health checks before going to school but staff will also do daily health checks. A daily sanitation protocol will be put in place and at this time there will be no field trips or mass gatherings like banquets, assemblies or dances.
Snively explained that they chose to start doing online instructions from the beginning so that all students would be on the same page, and if they needed to move to a new plan, the switch could be made easily. This way, he said, they can also provide equal education to all students.
“It’s sort of inevitable someone in our district will come down with (COVID-19),” Snively said, adding that with their plan, they can monitor students more effectively.
He also mentioned that the high school renovation project, which will turn the library into classrooms and add a cafeteria to the high school, was kind of a blessing in disguise. By moving the junior high students up to the high school building and adding a cafeteria, Snively explained that it will allow them to keep the two buildings separated from each other. The project is on track to be completed by the start of school.
“We’re in good shape,” Snively said, adding that they want to get the kids back at it and into a routine. “We can do it, it will just take some patience.”
The board of education, during their meeting, also:
•Approved the employment of Sherry Fischer as a school counselor for one year for the 2020-21 school year.
•Approved a proposal for $49,742 from Imhoff Construction for a concrete ramp/approach for the new kitchen at the high school.
•Approved a lease from the Village of Danville for the village park to hold athletic events.
•Approved a memorandum with Danville Police Department to provide a school resource officer for the 2020-21 school year.