Closing and preparing

Fort Recovery schools will be closed beginning Tuesday.

Jay School Corporation released an “initial concept” of how it would handle a potential long-term closure. After-school activities, field trips and extracurriculars have also been suspended for 30 days.

Those moves, among a long list of others, were announced Thursday as the country continues to try to control the spread of coronavirus.

There are a dozen confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, including one in Adams County. No cases have been confirmed in Jay County.

“Right now, we still don’t have any known cases here in Jay County,” Heath Butz of the Jay County Health Department said this morning.

Ohio has five confirmed cases, three of which are in Cuyahoga County. One individual is being investigated for COVID-19 in Mercer County.

The Fort Recovery school closure is a move mandated by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. During a press conference Thursday afternoon, DeWine announced all public and private schools would be closed in Ohio following the end of the school day Monday and will remain closed until April 3 (bit.ly/39P2WbE). The status of school in Ohio will be evaluated again at that time.

“We have to take this action,” said DeWine, who also banned mass gatherings — those with attendance of 100 or more — with some exceptions. “We have to do everything that we can to have an interruption. We have to do everything that we can to slow down the spread of this virus.”

Fort Recovery Local Schools were not in session today, which was already scheduled as a day off. Classes will be in session as usual Monday before the mandated “extended spring break” begins Tuesday.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Thursday afternoon school corporations will be granted a 20-day waiver of the required 180 instructional days (bit.ly/2ILUZaY). He also mandated that “non-essential gatherings” be limited to 250 attendees.

“This is a time when we must do all we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19, protect our most vulnerable populations and reduce their potential to acquire or spread this virus,” said Gov. Holcomb.

“While some actions are drastic, now, not later, is the time to act.”

As for the status of classes locally, Jay School Corporation is waiting for additional guidance from Indiana Department of Education that is expected to come today. The corporation has already advised students and staff to stay home if they are sick.

In the event that Jay Schools would be closed for an extended period of time, it would begin with three days of e-learning. (Teachers have already been asked to have three days of assignments prepared, and students in third through 12th grade are taking their Chromebooks home every night.)

Beyond that, the corporation is evaluating the role waiver days would play in the schedule moving forward.

Beginning on the third e-learning day, the corporation also would plan to continue to offer food service, for free, to all Jay Schools students via “grab and go” sack lunches that would be available in the parking lots at Jay County High School, East Jay Middle School and Westlawn, Redkey, Bloomfield and Pennville elementary schools. Federal regulations require the student be present in order to claim the meal.

Parents were asked to fill out a survey regarding e-learning and food service needs via their Skyward accounts.

Jay Schools, in consultation with Jay County Health Department, had already announced its suspension of after-school activities, extracurriculars and field trips Thursday afternoon, including high school athletic practices and competitions. The IHSAA earlier in the day decided to limit attendance at its remaining tournament events, including boys basketball regionals and the gymnastics state finals Saturday.



Elsewhere in Indiana, Marion County public schools closed today with all schools in the county to close by Monday, the Indianapolis Star reported. Schools in Avon, where a student tested positive for COVID-19, have been closed all week. Otherwise, nearly all of Indiana's K-12 schools have remained open.

The IHSAA on Thursday announced plans to limit fans at its boys basketball tournament, which continues with the regional round Saturday. No fans will be allowed at Saturday’s gymnastics state finals at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena.

The OHSAA postponed all of its remaining winter tournaments, and Ohio Music Education Association announced Thursday the cancellation of the remainder of its events for the school year. Indiana Percussion Association, Indiana High School Color Guard Association and Indiana State School Music Association had already canceled the remainder of their seasons.

Locally, Ag Week activities that were scheduled for next week have been postponed. Ag Week committee chairman Todd Thornburg said the goal will be to reschedule the events, possibly in June.

The Jay County Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet, which had been set for Thursday, March 19, has also been postponed. A new date will be announced in the near future.

John Jay Center for Learning announced U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s visit that was scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed. The facility is otherwise set to remain open for regular business hours with all of its programs, classes and special events as scheduled.

Jay Community Center canceled its AAU spring basketball league games that were scheduled for Sunday. Senior programming set for March 26 has also been canceled. The facility will remain open for its regular hours. Its spring league tournament has been rescheduled for March 30 and 31.

Jay County Historical Museum canceled its monthly program, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

The Ritz Theatre in Portland has closed until further notice, and The Tipsy Glass winery, rural Bryant, also announced it will be closed for an indeterminate period of time.

Minnetrista in Muncie has canceled its Farmers Market for March 24, Family Adventure Day: Spring Celebration for March 25 and “The Drawing” film showing and talkback for March 26.

Beginning Monday, all classes at Ball State will be moved online. More than a dozen colleges across the state have taken similar steps, with various start dates. Ivy Tech Community College is delaying the continuation of current courses and the start of new eight-week courses until March 23.

Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center also suspended all events until further notice. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum announced suspensions or cancellations of events including Fort Wayne Komets and Fort Wayne Mad Ants games.