Logan school board approves reopening plan

The Logan school board last week approved a detailed, phased-in reopening plan for students that includes in-class instruction for students from kindergarten through second grade starting in mid-August and the rest of the student body taking online classes until at least after Labor Day.

The plan, drafted by superintendent Dennis Roch with consultation from staff and board members, comes with the hope all students would attend classes at Logan schools by early October if they wished.

The full plan is on the school’s website at tinyurl.com/yxb6lmos.

Roch, also with consultation from the board, drafted a short online survey for parents on whether they want their child to take online or in-person classes for the school year. He said survey results would be crucial in determining staffing for those classes. Roch said surveys should be filled out by this week.

This surveys may be found at loganschool.net/40944_1.

The Logan board scheduled a special meeting to submit a new reopening plan after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham the previous week ordered public schools to open the school year in mid-August with online classes only except for small groups of prekindergarten through second-grade students. She cited a rise in coronavirus cases for the delay in in-person classes.

Roch said Logan schools would open Aug. 17 for in-person classes for prekindergarten through second-grade students. All other students would begin classes online on that date.

Under the governor’s current order, Logan students in grades three through five could begin in-person classes Sept. 8 using various rooms to foster social distancing at the school, including the gymnasium if necessary.

Roch said dates for in-person classes for the middle school and high school haven’t been set but would be determined on state COVID-19 data. He said indications from the state those students could return to school in late September and early October, respectively.

Roch said the state’s directives could change again as the school year approaches.

“We’ll have to be nimble those first few weeks,” he said.

He said students and staff would undergo daily temperature checks in the mornings. Anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 would be referred to the school nurse.

Parents must provide face coverings for students that must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking. All staff would be provided face coverings. Roch also noted a letter from school nurse Darlene Oliver, who recommended face shields over masks for students and staff because they’re safer and easier to sanitize. She said nearly 60 students are asthmatic, thus making it more difficult for them to wear masks. She also wrote that cloth coverings often harbor bacteria.

Students would be instructed on the proper use of facial coverings, proper handwashing and social distancing, especially during transitions between classes. Signs about preventing the spread of COVID-19 would be posted throughout school buildings.

Elementary recesses would be at staggered locations to minimize interactions and allow the cleaning of playground equipment.

For busing, drivers must wear facial coverings and ask students about possible symptoms before they can board. Buses would be sanitized after each use. Arrivals and departures from the school grounds would be staggered to lessen interactions. Two children would be allowed per bus seat. Roch said that requirement may require shifting a bus route to avoid crowding.

Meal services would include a grab-and-go breakfasts that students can take outdoors or in the gymnasium during bad weather; only elementary students would be allowed to eat in the cafeteria. Lunches would be served on staggered schedules, with seating socially distanced. High-schoolers would be allowed to leave campus to get lunch. The kitchen and cafeteria would be sanitized after each use.

Learning spaces would have well-spaced desks and self-contained classrooms to minimize the mixing of students in hallways. Roch acknowledged spacing and occupancy requirements for classrooms presented “complicated logistical challenges.”

The use of student lockers would be suspended indefinitely.

In terms of assessments, Roch said the district would hold Northwest Evaluation Association testing at the beginning of the school year and monitor progress in the middle and end of the year. Seniors also would get several chances to meet graduation requirements.

The plan contains schedules for prekindergarten students: from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday for 3-year-olds and from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday for 4-year-olds. Pre-K classes previously dismissed at 4 p.m. Roch said the change was to keep them from mixing with older students.

Roch said it’s likely the district would employ different online instruction programs than the e2020 and PathBlazer platforms used in the spring.

Roch said he understood some parents and students might be wary of coronavirus and enroll in online classes only.

“We want to honor every family’s choice,” he said.

He said any student who enrolls for online courses won’t be permitted to re-enroll for on-campus classes until the district finishes one of its nine-week schedules. He said allowing students in classes in the middle of a session “creates too much upheaval in the master schedule.”

The plan states any student in online or in-person classes would be permitted to participate in athletic teams. Last year’s sports physicals would be allowed, and all students automatically are academically eligible at the beginning of the school year.

Board members praised the plan.

“It looks like with what we’ve got to work with, it’s very effective,” board member Tom Humble said.

In other action, the board approved the donation of a two-piece commercial oven to the Village of Logan, which would use it for its civic center. The oven had been replaced by a new oven, paid for with a state grant.