Written by Cheney Yao
As students and staff begin returning to the building after four months of distance learning, concerns over safety persist.
The district’s Incident Command Team, which includes principals, parent and student representation, communications, and an epidemiologist, decides which learning model to use based on current coronavirus cases in the area, staffing availability, and community feedback. With no way to guarantee complete protection from the virus, staff, students and parents continue to express mixed feelings about returning to the building.
The goal of the committee was “to talk about school and the virus, and to be as data-driven as we possibly could,” said team member and East Ridge High School Principal Jim Smokrovich.
The committee has worked to solve minor hiccups, such as a chemical reaction between two cleaning solutions causing bleaching on student clothing, as well as bigger questions, such as how students can most safely eat lunch together.
To minimize the risk of COVID spread in the cafeteria, students will be asked to record their seat number and eventually choose a permanent one, to help with contact tracing, if a case of COVID is reported.
Since the fall, there have been 190 cases reported at the district high school level. That includes a handful of new positive cases that have occurred during the past week, when students returned to in-person learning 4 days a week, according to district COVID lead and East Ridge High School nurse, Tara Goebel.
When hybrid started in late February, staff raised concerns in regards to their safety. Nick Jasiczeck, the Vice President of the teachers union, wrote an opinion article in Pioneer Press in late January raising concerns about the unrealistic expectations put on teachers to manage a high amount of students, both virtual and in-person, and spoke against returning to hybrid unless prepared with either N-95 masks or vaccinations, or both.
“As time has gone and ill-considered, arbitrary, and seemingly contradictory decisions have compiled, it has become increasingly clear that we are no longer ‘in this together.’ Do not go to full in-person education unless basic safety and educational realities have been addressed,” Jasiczeck wrote in the letter.
Teachers are now close to being fully vaccinated, according to a Monday night robocall to staff. Under updated state guidelines, schools are also required to provide on-site testing for staff. Students are also encouraged to get tested regularly.
As vaccinations become more available, students say they are eager to return to a regular school year, but are also concerned about safety among their peers.
About 25% of the student population has elected to remain in distance learning.
Sometimes, students fail to wear masks, especially in hallways, said senior Riya Bharti.
“Most teachers are busy cleaning their classrooms, so they don’t have time to parole the halls during passing time, which is understandable. In class, I have seen teachers take action and tell kids to wear masks properly,” she said.
Other students don’t always wear their masks properly, fully covering their mouth and nose, said Rebecca Poor, a senior who is also the Student Council President.
“That’s a little nerve-wracking,” said senior Helena Dowler. “You have to be more aware of your surroundings now it's definitely harder for somebody who cares about COVID and not getting sick.”
