The Carroll Community School District Board of Education and Superintendent, Dr. Casey Berlau, have been working for months on a plan to return to classes, currently scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25. The Iowa Department of Education had set out some guidelines for committees comprised of staff and community members to develop those plans. Berlau says the challenge through all of this is that the target is continually moving and new guidance is coming out frequently. He says they will just have to be ready to adjust to these changing factors as time goes on. In addition to the feedback from these committees, they are seeking input from parents and guardians as well.
That district office number is 792-8001. Berlau says they have planned for the three scenarios of: back in-person, a hybrid of in-person and remote learning and full remote learning. No firm decision will be made until Aug. 5, but it is a type of hybrid model they are working on now.
One of the most challenging aspects of the return to in-person instruction is the transportation issue. The district does not have enough drivers or buses to transport all children in the same way they have in the past. They are working on a multi-point plan, starting with a parental partnership.
For elementary children who are two miles or more away from their attendance center and junior and high school students who are three miles or more away, the school will not exceed two people per seat on the bus. Siblings will be asked to sit together and there will be assigned seating. The question of masks was discussed at Tuesday night’s board meeting and some parents voiced their opinions on the subject. More on that can be found with the school board story online. Berlau says they will be continuing those discussions and a final decision will be made on Aug. 5. He says they know there are going to be instances when the kids won’t be able to social distance and the face mask discussion will cover that as well. They are also talking about how to keep children in smaller groups, staggering times to eliminate overcrowding in the hallways, meals in classrooms and other ideas based on each building’s layout. Berlau adds that social distancing is not natural to any of us, especially children, and they need to go through the process of ensuring good hygiene, extra cleaning measures and likely there will be changes to the way routine daily activities, such as recess, are structured. A link to the full interview with Dr. Casey Berlau can be found below.
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Full interview with CCSD Superintendent, Dr. Casey Berlau: https://www.1380kcim.com/episode/kcim-interview-ccsd-superintendent-dr-casey-berlau-2/
