According to the Ohio Department of Education’s “RESET AND RESTART Education” (July 2, 2020), schools and districts are expected “To ensure each student is challenged, prepared and empowered for his or her future by way of an excellent prekindergarten through grade 12 education. This means the commitment to Ohio’s Learning Standards and the four learning domains described in Ohio’s strategic plan for education, Each Child, Our Future, must continue to be strong. These domains include foundational knowledge and skills, well-rounded content, leadership and reasoning skills and social-emotional learning.” 

From the American Academy of Pediatrics: “With the below principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families.

• School policies must be flexible and nimble in responding to new information, and administrators must be willing to refine approaches when specific policies are not working.
• It is critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the school and throughout the community and done with close communication with state and/or local public health authorities and recognizing the differences between school districts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts.
• Policies should be practical, feasible, and appropriate for the child’s and adolescent’s developmental stage.
• Special considerations and accommodations to account for the diversity of youth should be made, especially for our vulnerable populations, including those who are medically fragile, live in poverty, have developmental challenges, or have special health care needs or disabilities, with the goal of safe return to school.
• No child or adolescents should be excluded from school unless required in order to adhere to local public health mandates or because of unique medical needs. Pediatricians, families, and schools should partner together to collaboratively identify and develop accommodations, when needed.
• School policies should be guided by supporting the overall health and well-being of all children, adolescents, their families, and their communities. These policies should be consistently communicated in languages other than English, if needed, based on the languages spoken in the community, to avoid marginalization of parents/guardians who are of limited English proficiency or do not speak English at all.

April 2020: Planning for 2020-2021 School Year Begins 

May 4 – July 20: Reimagine Schools Task Force Meetings, biweekly with subcommittees meeting in the off-weeks 

June: Family/Teacher Survey Distributed 

July 2: Guidance for Schools Released by Governor DeWine: July 2, 2020 

July 13: Task Force Meeting – Review Draft of Comprehensive Re-entry Plan 

July 14: Draft of Reopening plan presented to Board of Education

July 15: Draft of Reopening plan shared with staff

July 20: Task Force Meeting, Review Final Draft 

July 21-22: Send to Board of Health for Feedback 

July 23: Final Board review of re-entry plan

July 24 – 28: Finalize re-entry plans

July 29: Send re-entry plan all parents and staff, include parent enrollment form for Remote Learning Option

Aug 3: Release of District Re-entry Plan video 

Aug 10: Release of Building Re-entry Plan videos

August 12: Remote Learning Option Enrollment Deadline

August 13-28: District finalizes staffing, makes class assignments, logistics, etc. and sends out communications to parents.

August 27 – September 4: Staff Meetings/Training/Planning, and preparations for student arrival

September 8-9, 10-11: Student Re-entry Days (See below for schedule)

September 14: Classes begin for students based on Ohio Public Health Advisory System level