Highland board discusses return-to-learn plan

RIVERSIDE - After an almost three-hour conversation on its return-to-learn plan, the Highland school board chose to forgo a town hall and scheduled a vote for Wednesday, Aug. 5.

School board members spent a majority of their work session on Monday discussing the details of the school's return-to-learn plan.

Items discussed include:

- Face-covering standards.

- Hybrid-learning model.

- Seating charts.

- Sharing materials.

- Busing.

- Arrival and departure schedules.

- Lunches.

- Recess.

- Gym access to outside organizations.

Face covering received the largest discussion, with members voicing concerns and questions surrounding the different types of masks, their efficiency, enforcement and how long they will be required.

Superintendent Ken Crawford said the administration is recommending the board choose to make face covering required.

The district has purchased face shields for staff and students after taking a look at different options. The students will be asked to either wear one of the shields or provide their own mask.

The district decided to purchase face shields because they seem to be more universal and come in adult and child sizes, whereas it would be harder to purchases masks that fit everyone, Crawford said.

Many school board members voiced concerns over the efficiency of certain types of masks, such as the homemade ones, as they are not as efficient as N95, the only masks guaranteed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

'Are we wearing them just to wear them or are we wearing them to be effective?” Rachel Longbine asked.

School nurse Cindy Peiffer said it would take a long time to go through and approve every single mask.

One standard the group said should be in place is face masks need to cover the nose and mouth, and face shields need to extend to the chin out to the ears.

Board members asked if students would be able to take off face coverings with proper social distancing.

An option that was discussed was letting high schoolers decide when it is safe for them to take off the covering with proper social distancing and having elementary and secondary students ask the teachers for permission.

One school board member said the students will be more likely to comply with the rule if they are given appropriate breaks.

The board also must make a decision on if the students will all be in school, work in a hybrid model with half the students in at a time, or fully online learning.

The hybrid model would have two groups, A and B, which will rotate being in school and being online.

The administration recommended the hybrid model for the first two weeks and then having the board reevaluate based on county data and how efficiently the school has worked, to decide how to proceed. That decision would be made around Sept. 2.

The benefit to the hybrid is that if one student becomes ill, they only exposed half the number of people, Peiffer said.

It was stressed that the decision can be changed in the future if more information or guidance is provided or if one way does not work.

Many of the school board members said they heard from the community that parents want the kids back in school.

Peiffer said if that is the case, the parents need to understand that the school will be strict about health policies.

The board decided to forgo a town hall meeting or a survey, and instead send information to the parents on the proposed plan, hear any feedback and vote next Wednesday on the face masks and learning model. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 at the high school.