COLUMBUS – Ohio’s largest school district has unveiled its plan for reopening amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the Columbus City Schools plan may be a clue to what other districts in Ohio may attempt.
Under the plan unveiled by superintendent and CEO Dr. Talisa Dixon and her staff at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, students in kindergarten through eighth grade will use a blended learning model that combines two days of in-person instruction with three days of online learning (see illustration). Students from the same family/household will attend in-person classes on the same days.
High schoolers will attend school remotely full-time from home for at least the first two quarters of the school year.
Early childhood, or Pre-K, students will also use the blended model with full-day students attending two days of in-person learning with three days of remote learning at home and those in half-day classrooms undergoing four days of in-person learning with an option for virtual learning at home on the fifth day. Additional considerations are being made for students with special needs, according to the presentation prepared by Dixon and her cabinet.
families who may not want to send their students to school in-person can choose to have their students attend the all-virtual K-12 Digital Academy, the district’s fully-remote learning option.
CCS will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students.
The district expects to receive approximately $27 million from the federal CARES Act to help offset the $100 million projected cost of implementing the recommendations.
Under the district’s health and safety guidelines, all staff will be required to wear masks, students will be required to wear masks on the bus and it is recommended that all students wear masks in school.
Physical barriers will be installed where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing of at least six feet between students and new layouts for desks, tables, chairs, and other items are being created.
Hand sanitizer will be provided in all buildings.
Gov. Mike DeWine promised to announce the state’s guidelines for reopening schools Thursday.
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The state Health Department says the number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases reported to the state has risen slightly in the past day.
The new figures come as Ohio is seeing an increase in the number of cases being reported daily.
Ohio reported 1,076 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 52,865 with 2,876 deaths.
The state reported 45 deaths on Tuesday, more than twice the 21-day average of 21 daily deaths, for a total of 2,863.