R-8 officials recommended the plan to enable the school to deal with an approximate enrollment of 2,300 and classes that often include as many to 30 to 40 students.
The plan would provide students a better chance to maintain proper social distancing.
Board members who okayed the plan were Sharrock Dermott, Lori Musser and Michael Joseph. Derek Gander, Brent Jordan and Jeff Koch opposed it.
Board member Debbie Fort was absent.
The board will make its decision at a later date.
4 comments:
We ate running out of later dates. We as parent need to know what is going to happen so that we can plan around it. They decided to start school early without having any idea how they were going to do it. I get this is an unprecedented time but we need to be realistic about what is safely possible rather than taking a shot in the dark and hoping it works itself out.
Saying a prayer for all involved, this can't be any easy choice.
Thoughts and prayers.
Yesterday Missouri was added to the federal government's list of "red zone" states where infections are continuing to increase at an alarming rate. With Joplin's mask mandate in place, we seem to be doing better locally, but I question the board's decision to start school so early in the middle of all this. Pushing back the start of school would give the board more time to work through their safety plan, instead of meeting and then postponing and having to meet again.
Regarding the alternate-day plan for JHS, the board should follow the recommendations of their administrators at JHS; they are the ones most familiar with that school setting. Also, the board doesn't seem to be giving much thought to keeping teachers safe. Teachers will be required to wear masks when in close contact with students, but students will not be required to wear masks when in close contact with teachers. It's understandable that a mask mandate not apply to the youngest of students, but middle school and high school kids should wear masks in the classroom, to protect their teachers as well as one another. What will the board do if a large number of teachers in the district have to be quarantined? What's the back-up plan?
Webb City is mandating masks for students.
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