MOUNT VERNON – The historic announcement came less than three minutes into Gov. Mike DeWine’s Monday press briefing.
“I want to talk this afternoon about our schools…” DeWine began, looking into the camera. “Let me announce that for the remainder of this school year, our young people will continue to go to school remotely.”
It was an announcement students, teachers and school administrators dreaded, but knew was likely inevitable.
Ohio’s K-12 schools have been closed since March 17, when the state ordered remote learning to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. With approximately one month left on the school calendar, and testing for the virus still limited, DeWine announced Monday that in-person instruction would not resume this school year.
DeWine said his administration has “made no decision about the fall yet,” but it is already considering a “blended system” for 2020-21, where schools would offer a combination of remote and in-person learning. DeWine said school districts across the state are already planning for next school year.
“We appreciate the planning that’s going on and I would encourage schools to continue to do that planning…” DeWine said. The Ohio Department of Education is working with school district leaders and state officials to determine the best path forward, he added.
“Each school district is going to be different,” DeWine said. Remote learning is more feasible for some districts than others, he explained, and the circumstances vary from family to family.
“As these decisions are made, we’re going to allow a great deal of flexibility, as we should, for the local schools because what they find in their district and how their district looks is very different…” he continued. “We’re going to give a great deal of flexibility, within some broad parameters, to ensure the safety of young people.”
DeWine said he has communicated regularly with Ohio superintendents, teachers and parents over the last month regarding the status of the rest of the school year. Superintendents in Knox County said they weren’t surprised by his decision Monday, although they certainly wish things were different. Here’s how they reacted to the announcement:
Centerburg superintendent Mike Hebenthal: “I was expecting the announcement soon and have already given guidance to my staff what to expect when that announcement came. I don’t see how the Governor could have done anything differently. A school tends to be very crowded and social distancing would be next to impossible. Distance learning is far less effective than normal. Teachers, parents, students are all doing their best but it is very limiting and a much slower process. Everyone will do the best we can during these very unique times.”
Danville superintendent Jason Snively: “Although I would prefer to have the students and teachers in the building and participating in school sponsored activities, I believe in the current situation it is best for everyone for us to continue the year remotely. Yes, I was expecting it. To be honest this will slow us down a little, but it will not stop us. I also believe this situation is a great learning experience. It has taught both students and staff the value in having the ability and mentality to solve problems.
“One of the complaints that I often hear from employers and industry leaders is that students or potential employees do not have problem solving skills or cannot not adapt to difficult situations. Good or bad, all stakeholders have been forced to do something different and it is amazing what we have been able to do. I believe the staff and students have really learned a lot from a bad situation and made it an invaluable learning experience that will last for years to come.”
East Knox superintendent Steve Larcomb: “Gov. DeWine’s announcement makes sense for schools to remain in their current status for the remainder of this school year. East Knox will follow our school board-approved calendar which takes us educationally through May 21st. It is unfortunate that our students will not experience typical celebrations to end a school year. However, our students, staff and community will continue to adapt and thrive.”
Fredericktown superintendent Susan Hayward: “I was expecting the announcement. I fully support the Governor’s decision. While we want our students in school and miss them terribly, it is critical we put the safety of our students and staff first. Fredericktown Local Schools is doing a wonderful job with remote learning. We have a dedicated staff that wants our students to continue to learn through these unprecedented times. Our staff has been collaborative and very supportive of each other to best meet the needs of our students.”
Knox County Career Center superintendent Kathy Greenich: “The announcement didn’t come as a huge surprise, but it still saddens us. We know it’s what best for the health of our communities, but we know that schools are an integral part of our students’ lives. We miss our students! We will continue with our distance learning plans. Our teachers and students have been doing a great job. We have been planning many scenarios. Now that we know what we won’t be returning to our buildings, we can move forward with plans for ending the year.”
Mount Vernon superintendent Bill Seder: “While we were not surprised at the Governor’s announcement to physically close schools for the remainder of the year, we are incredibly disappointed and disheartened for our students especially seniors. We will continue to improve our online/remote learning experiences to provide the best instruction we can in spite of the circumstances.”
Following DeWine’s decision Monday, the OHSAA announced it would cancel the 2020 spring sports season. Longtime spring traditions like prom and graduation are also now up in the air.
DeWine gave two main reasons in his press conference Monday for postponing in-person learning until the fall.
First, he said, “the virus continues.”
“We have flattened the curve, but it remains dangerous,” DeWine said. “The situation is fluid; we now have eight or nine days straight of fairly straight line in regard to hospitalizations. So that’s good news; we’ll feel a lot better when it starts going down. But this situation is still very tough.”
As of Thursday, Ohio had 14,442 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 618 confirmed deaths. While testing is expanding every day, less than one percent of Ohioans have been tested to date. The state’s contact tracing capabilities and PPE supply are also still limited.
Second, DeWine said school officials have emphasized the importance of “continuity.” With only four or five weeks left in the school year, DeWine said many teachers and superintendents thought it would be best just to finish the year remotely.
School officials have voiced concerns over the health risks of bringing students back into the classroom this spring, DeWine said.
“Not only do we have to be concerned about the risk to students, but also obviously teachers, and ultimately the risk to the community, with a number of kids from a number of families coming together and then going home,” DeWine said.
“We know that statistically, unless a child has a specific medical problem, the fatality rate is exceedingly low among young people. But we also know that young people are carriers. And the reason that the schools were shut before – the physical locations of the schools – was because of our concern about kids coming in, going back and forth, back into their families, and the spread that occurs because of that. That issue continues to remain.”
When it comes to remote learning, DeWine said he is most concerned about students who have special developmental needs; unique health challenges; no or limited internet access; or an unsupportive home life. He said those students must be taken into consideration when planning for the road ahead.
“As we plan ahead and we try to think, ‘How are we going to have school, educate our kids with a virus that is still out there,’ I think these are some kids that we need to be particularly concerned about,” DeWine said.
DeWine said the state will continue to keep superintendents, teachers and parents updated on where things stand heading into the 2020-21 school year. The situation is ever-evolving, he noted.
“We’ve made no decision about the fall yet. We’re going to have to see where we’re going,” DeWine said. “I know that parents, teachers, administrators are anxious for a decision about the fall, but we are simply not in a position yet to make that decision.”
