HOLYROOD — After a 90-minute Zoom meeting with officials from the Kansas Association of School Boards and teachers, school board members and principals from across the state to review a Reopening“ program, Central Plains superintendent Greg Clark spent an hour giving his board members details on how USD 112 plans to reopen schools next month. Clark said the plan being devel

Clark said the plan being developed calls for classrooms to be reopened Aug. 27 to students.

That date, however, has yet to be voted on by the board. The board plans a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, at Central Plains Elementary School in Holyrood.

“This plan is a working plan and can be changed at any time,” Clark said. The district’s original start date

The district’s original start date was Aug. 20, but the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the plans of school districts across the nation.

Clark said most of his teachers want classes back to where they were before the virus.

“We’re going to try to be normal at the start,” he said. “But it’s going to take a little bit for some of those people. But I think with the support of staff and administration, we can get there.”

Clark said teachers will still report to their schools Aug. 14 for training. Then Monday, Aug. 17, they will spend two weeks to make sure they have their plan for hybrid and distant learning in place.

“When we have our board meeting we can discuss some of that,” he said.

Hybrid learning is where half the students are in class on one day, with the other half in class on the other. Distant learning is students learning from home via computer like they did at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

“The decision has been pushed down to you guys on how we are going to do this,” Clark said. “I think that’s good in the fact that we aren’t Kansas City and we aren’t Wichita.”

Clark said he has received input from teachers, and he wants the same from parents and students.

The plan mandates the wearing of masks by students and staff. “I believe that is the smartest way

“I believe that is the smartest way to go,” Clark said.

Clark said the only exception will be for a doctor’s order.

“Masks can be taken off (inside) when social distancing is occurring and outside when social distancing is occurring,” he said.

Clark said school nurses in the district are working with Ellsworth County Health Department supervisor Kerianne Ehrlich to develop protocols to deal with a student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

“That way, Ellsworth will be doing the exact same thing as Wilson, Holyrood and Claflin,” he said. If USD 112 does have a case of

If USD 112 does have a case of COVID-19, Clark said a text blast will be sent to parents.

Clark said USD 112 will have employees with medical issues or with a family member, that will need to be taken into consideration.

“We’ve got to be positive,” he said. “If we can make it positive, the kids will make it positive. Wearing a mask is not going to be that big of a deal. It might be a little hectic at first. But kids are more adaptable that we give them credit for. That is a positive for us.”

Clark said there are a lot of challenges ahead with the reopening of school.

“It won’t be perfect,” he said. “We will stub our toes, but we won’t stop, that I promise you. We’re going to reduce the risk as much as we can. Each of my buildings are doing everything they can to make kids safe.”