SARASOTA – As we approach the halfway point of the summer vacation students, parents and staff turn to the men and women in charge of implementing how public schools in Sarasota County will reopen for the upcoming academic school year.
With three possible options to choose from they must act quickly.
“How do we open schools? Are we going to open schools just as the – under the advice of the governor?” said Mitsi Corcoran. “We need to get back to brick & mortar, face to face instructions open our schools.”
Corcoran, Interim Superintendent for Sarasota County Schools, says 74% of parents surveyed supported that idea. While 21% supported enrolling their child full-time remotely, and only 5% choosing to enroll their child in Sarasota Virtual Program. But all options come at a risk of when a student tests positive for coronavirus.
“We’re going to encourage cleaning throughout the day. Also in custodial services we’ve purchased the N95s so if we do get a situation like we talked about earlier,” said Jody Dumas, Assistant Superintendent Chief Operating Officer. ” [If] we get a report of a positive COVID case in a school then that strike team that we’re calling that have to go in and clean that school are going to have the higher level N95 masks so we’ve got those available and ready to go.”
Assistant Superintendent Chief Operating Officer Laura Kingsley says teachers are already preparing for whatever outcome the school board approves. By finding ways to accommodate all students she says the next challenge will fall on the parents.
“We heard a lot during ICan Plan that parents struggled were to find the instructions for their children,” said Kingsley. “Where to find every assignment, they had to go through to many platforms.”
Kingsley says teachers will now use one universal system known as Blackboard to post announcements, tests and anything else a child would need to have everything at their disposal. However, with nearly 42,000 students enrolled in public school in the county it’ll be hard to please everyone.
“The issue becomes if I have a school, but I don’t have I don’t have enough 7th graders at that school I have a teacher that doesn’t want to come into work but I don’t have enough to make a class,” said Corcoran. “I’m not going to be able to offer that remotely unfortunately.”
With still having plenty to take into consideration the school board will turn to getting parents and staff input to secure that students don’t fall back academically more than some already have.
The school board plans to discuss the matter even further at their next school board meeting when they return from break. Stay with SNN for the latest up to date information.
