July 21, 2020 at 12:39 a.m.
School will reopen Aug. 12
Masks are recommended but will not be required
School will reopen Aug. 12
Jay Schools will open Aug. 12 as scheduled.
After hearing a final review Monday from superintendent Jeremy Gulley, Jay School Board approved the plan to reopen schools.
The reopening plan, put together by committees of administrators, teachers and parents, is nearly identical to what was presented to the board last month.
School will begin Aug. 12 as previously scheduled. Mask use is recommended when social distance can’t be maintained, but will not be required. (Each student will be given a cloth mask at the beginning of the year and may also wear their own masks.)
Jay School Corporation will be taking a series of other precautions in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19. They include:
•Families will be expected to self-screen students for COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and keep them home if they are sick
•Use of more pre-packaged food and condiments in the cafeteria and the elimination of buffet-style serving
•Keeping elementary school students with their classes throughout the school day
•Bus seats will be assigned, with family members to sit together
•Students will be limited to one bus pick-up and drop-off point to be designated at the beginning of the year
•Personal items will not be shared and there will no longer be shared storage spaces for students.
•Frequent hand washing will be encouraged and hand sanitizer will be available
•Additional cleaning, with restrooms cleaned multiple times per day and classrooms sanitized between student groups
•Drinking fountains will not be available; students will be allowed to bring water bottles
•Established traffic patterns will be indicated at the junior/senior high school to promote social distancing
•Lockers will not be used in the junior/senior high school
•No field trips for the first nine weeks
The policies will be reevaluated after the first nine weeks of school for possible adjustments.
“Every plan is fluid,” Gulley said.
He added that while all of those precautions are meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, they do not eliminate risk. The situation will continue to be monitored by Jay Schools staff in consultation with Jay County Health Department.
Decisions will be made based on the overall spread of the virus. Schools will remain in session if the community spread is low, as it is now. If it increases to “moderate,” a hybrid in-person/online version could be implemented. If there is “substantial” spread, the corporation could shift back to full online as was used at the end of the 2019-20 school year. (Jay Schools shut down at the end of the day March 13 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, using e-learning for the final two-plus months of the school year.)
“Don’t expect that just because there’s a positive case, we’re going to shut the entire school district,” said Gulley. “If that were the case, we probably would never open.”
Since the reopening plan was presented last month, Jay School Corporation surveyed parents and employees about the plan, with nearly 60% in support and another 26.8% unsure but “OK with it for now.” Only 13.6% did not support the plan.
Jay Schools also offered an online-only option for those families that are not comfortable sending their students back to in-person classes.
Gulley reported that as of the July 15 deadline, 8% of students were signed up for online-only classes.
The lone question from a crowd of about 20 in the JCHS auditorium for Monday’s meeting came from Westlawn Elementary School teacher Andrew Davidson about teachers’ role in “recommending” that masks be worn.
The recommendation is part of the school board’s reopening plan but does not require any enforcement from teachers because it is not a requirement. The intention, Gulley said, is that the choices of all students and staff be respected and that bullying for any reason will not be tolerated.
“We’re going to respect people’s choices,” said Gulley.
He noted that if changes to the reopening plan are needed — for instance, The Indianapolis Star reported last week that Gov. Eric Holcomb said he would consider mandating masks in school — an additional school board meeting would be called.
Registration for school is expected to open Wednesday via the Jay Schools website at jayschoolcorp.org.
In other business, board members Ron Laux, Krista Muhlenkamp, Jason Phillips, Donna Geesaman and Chris Snow, absent Phil Ford and Mike Shannon:
•Heard the financial report from business manager Tarinna Morris, indicating that she projects a positive cash flow of $866,085 in the education fund in 2020 for a projected year-end balance of $3.45 million.
•Approved the following: service contracts with Signature Therapy Services, Hillside Therapy Services, Crossing National, Curtis & Livers Consulting, First Steps, Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services and Behavior Association of Indiana; book fees for the 2020-21 school year; the Form 9 Financial Report to be submitted to the Indiana Department of School Finance; fees for preschool, Latchkey and driver’s education at no increase from last year; and health insurance plans through Anthem at an increase in cost of between 5.81% and 11.25%, depending on the plan, with no increase of vision and dental.
•Accepted the resignations of Redkey Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jacqueline Rinard, middle school math and science teacher and Jay County High School boys golf coach Ryan Steinbrunner, General Shanks Elementary School fourth grade teacher Cindy Grile, Redkey preschool teacher Lauren Hawranek, JCHS softball coach Joseph Missicano, bus driver Ronald LeMaster and bus aide Melissa Conley.
•Approved the hiring of General Shanks Preschool instructional assistant Marita Runkle, Bloomfield Elementary School ASL interpreter Judd Haack, East Jay Elementary School special education resource teacher Emily Alig and Redkey teachers Abby Fullenkamp (fourth grade) and Veronicka Rector (kindergarten).
•Accepted proposed policy revisions for first reading. They are scheduled for approval at the board’s Aug. 3 meeting.
•Approved extracurricular assignments for Jay County High School, including Trisha Green as softball coach, Emilie Garringer as summer band guard director, Sarah Wenk as assistant volleyball coach and Brandt Pearson and Robert Minch as assistant football coaches.
•Accepted donations of $5,000 from First Merchants Bank and $2,000 from The Portland Foundation for expenses related to COVID-19.
After hearing a final review Monday from superintendent Jeremy Gulley, Jay School Board approved the plan to reopen schools.
The reopening plan, put together by committees of administrators, teachers and parents, is nearly identical to what was presented to the board last month.
School will begin Aug. 12 as previously scheduled. Mask use is recommended when social distance can’t be maintained, but will not be required. (Each student will be given a cloth mask at the beginning of the year and may also wear their own masks.)
Jay School Corporation will be taking a series of other precautions in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19. They include:
•Families will be expected to self-screen students for COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and keep them home if they are sick
•Use of more pre-packaged food and condiments in the cafeteria and the elimination of buffet-style serving
•Keeping elementary school students with their classes throughout the school day
•Bus seats will be assigned, with family members to sit together
•Students will be limited to one bus pick-up and drop-off point to be designated at the beginning of the year
•Personal items will not be shared and there will no longer be shared storage spaces for students.
•Frequent hand washing will be encouraged and hand sanitizer will be available
•Additional cleaning, with restrooms cleaned multiple times per day and classrooms sanitized between student groups
•Drinking fountains will not be available; students will be allowed to bring water bottles
•Established traffic patterns will be indicated at the junior/senior high school to promote social distancing
•Lockers will not be used in the junior/senior high school
•No field trips for the first nine weeks
The policies will be reevaluated after the first nine weeks of school for possible adjustments.
“Every plan is fluid,” Gulley said.
He added that while all of those precautions are meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, they do not eliminate risk. The situation will continue to be monitored by Jay Schools staff in consultation with Jay County Health Department.
Decisions will be made based on the overall spread of the virus. Schools will remain in session if the community spread is low, as it is now. If it increases to “moderate,” a hybrid in-person/online version could be implemented. If there is “substantial” spread, the corporation could shift back to full online as was used at the end of the 2019-20 school year. (Jay Schools shut down at the end of the day March 13 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, using e-learning for the final two-plus months of the school year.)
“Don’t expect that just because there’s a positive case, we’re going to shut the entire school district,” said Gulley. “If that were the case, we probably would never open.”
Since the reopening plan was presented last month, Jay School Corporation surveyed parents and employees about the plan, with nearly 60% in support and another 26.8% unsure but “OK with it for now.” Only 13.6% did not support the plan.
Jay Schools also offered an online-only option for those families that are not comfortable sending their students back to in-person classes.
Gulley reported that as of the July 15 deadline, 8% of students were signed up for online-only classes.
The lone question from a crowd of about 20 in the JCHS auditorium for Monday’s meeting came from Westlawn Elementary School teacher Andrew Davidson about teachers’ role in “recommending” that masks be worn.
The recommendation is part of the school board’s reopening plan but does not require any enforcement from teachers because it is not a requirement. The intention, Gulley said, is that the choices of all students and staff be respected and that bullying for any reason will not be tolerated.
“We’re going to respect people’s choices,” said Gulley.
He noted that if changes to the reopening plan are needed — for instance, The Indianapolis Star reported last week that Gov. Eric Holcomb said he would consider mandating masks in school — an additional school board meeting would be called.
Registration for school is expected to open Wednesday via the Jay Schools website at jayschoolcorp.org.
In other business, board members Ron Laux, Krista Muhlenkamp, Jason Phillips, Donna Geesaman and Chris Snow, absent Phil Ford and Mike Shannon:
•Heard the financial report from business manager Tarinna Morris, indicating that she projects a positive cash flow of $866,085 in the education fund in 2020 for a projected year-end balance of $3.45 million.
•Approved the following: service contracts with Signature Therapy Services, Hillside Therapy Services, Crossing National, Curtis & Livers Consulting, First Steps, Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services and Behavior Association of Indiana; book fees for the 2020-21 school year; the Form 9 Financial Report to be submitted to the Indiana Department of School Finance; fees for preschool, Latchkey and driver’s education at no increase from last year; and health insurance plans through Anthem at an increase in cost of between 5.81% and 11.25%, depending on the plan, with no increase of vision and dental.
•Accepted the resignations of Redkey Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jacqueline Rinard, middle school math and science teacher and Jay County High School boys golf coach Ryan Steinbrunner, General Shanks Elementary School fourth grade teacher Cindy Grile, Redkey preschool teacher Lauren Hawranek, JCHS softball coach Joseph Missicano, bus driver Ronald LeMaster and bus aide Melissa Conley.
•Approved the hiring of General Shanks Preschool instructional assistant Marita Runkle, Bloomfield Elementary School ASL interpreter Judd Haack, East Jay Elementary School special education resource teacher Emily Alig and Redkey teachers Abby Fullenkamp (fourth grade) and Veronicka Rector (kindergarten).
•Accepted proposed policy revisions for first reading. They are scheduled for approval at the board’s Aug. 3 meeting.
•Approved extracurricular assignments for Jay County High School, including Trisha Green as softball coach, Emilie Garringer as summer band guard director, Sarah Wenk as assistant volleyball coach and Brandt Pearson and Robert Minch as assistant football coaches.
•Accepted donations of $5,000 from First Merchants Bank and $2,000 from The Portland Foundation for expenses related to COVID-19.
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