BROWNSTOWN
Brownstown Central Community School Corp. officials have taken a proactive approach to keep students and staff safe and healthy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
When the second trimester starts Nov. 9, Brownstown Central High School will operate on a hybrid schedule.
Students with last names of A through J will attend school on Red days, and students with last names K through Z will attend school on Black days.
A student will attend school every other day. The day a student is not at school will be a remote learning day with learning and instruction taking place online.
That schedule, which was approved by the board of trustees during a special meeting Monday night, will continue through the end of the second trimester Feb. 19. Then officials will reevaluate when plans are finalized for the third trimester.
In a snow day scenario, if a student was expected to attend school, he or she will be in attendance the next day school resumes.
Principal Joe Sheffer said the hybrid schedule will reduce the number of students attending school by half, which allows the school to be socially distanced in all classes except some food labs.
He said BCHS currently has 140-plus virtual learners, and the goal is to have the vast majority of them return to school for the second trimester. In total, the school had 516 students in grades 9 through 12 on the recent count day.
"BCHS is doing everything we can to keep our doors open and students safe," Sheffer said. "We are also trying to avoid sending potentially healthy students home for 14 days due to contact tracing."
He said he understands the hybrid schedule might be an inconvenience to some parents, but he appreciates their sacrifice and support.
"Please know that BCHS is truly trying to do what is best for students during these unprecedented times," he said.
Sheffer, the school board and Superintendent Tim Taylor had discussed switching to a hybrid schedule during a work session before the September board meeting. Sheffer researched the pros and cons other schools have experienced with that type of schedule.
This being the best chance to keep kids in school is a big pro, Taylor said. The middle school recently switched to grade-level cohorts and the elementary school classrooms have been in pods, and both have worked well, he said.
"I think that we’re making the decision that will protect us and allow us to stay in school," Taylor said. "Even if it’s every other day, we’re saying we think that is more valuable than the chance of being shut down for who knows how long. … I would rather be proactive and try to be ahead of the game than to have to be reactive and have to shut the doors because it can happen that quick."
If 80 students come back to school, that’s more than three-quarters of the school going back through a routine and in class, board President Scott Shade said.
"In the big scheme of things, the objective is to keep the schools open, keep them healthy and keep as much instructional classroom activity to as many kids as you can," he said. "It’s flu season during that time (of the second trimester), so maybe it is good that we can do that."
Vice President Gina Hackman asked Sheffer about cons he heard in talking to other schools.
Those include teachers having to teach a little different and plan more for students to do on their off days.
Sheffer also said it can become tricky making some tests work, and there could be transportation issues with having kids at home every other day.
In the second trimester, he said there are several classes with at least 30 students.
"We really want to get our Edmentum students back and get them here," he said, referring to the program students are using this trimester if they chose to stay home. "We feel it’s more valuable for them to be in school than to be out of school. If we get those back, it will end up helping us catch them up to speed."
This trimester, Sheffer said 13 teachers move classrooms, and some are having class in the auditorium and gymnasium. In the second trimester, though, it won’t be possible.
"The first few weeks of school, I have classes of 30, and in one, the desks don’t move. There’s no way I can make them socially distanced. It’s not going to happen," he said. "There are many classes that won’t be that."
Students want to come back and be socially distanced, he said.
"When I talked to the kids, they don’t want to be sent home because they are a close contact," he said. "They don’t want to be in fear of sitting next to somebody and that student gets tested positive: ‘Next thing you know, I’m out 14 days, I can’t go to work, I can’t play sports, I can’t come to school.’ That’s what the students don’t want, and if it wasn’t for the close contact, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion."
Sheffer said only special education students will be at school every day, while Taylor said details are being worked out for those who go to Bedford for career and technical education and to Seymour for welding.
Besides talking to the class presidents about a hybrid schedule, Sheffer had extensive talks with the teachers.
On the recent early release day, he said the school’s departments met to work on virtual teaching methods.
"They don’t love it. I’m not going to lie to you. They are kind of like me. I’m not going to tell you I’m absolutely loving it, but everybody understands and is willing to try it and thinks that’s what we need to do in order to keep the doors open," he said. "I feel I have the support of my staff."
The board unanimously approved the hybrid schedule. Trustee Dan Hall was absent.
"I don’t think it’s the ideal situation, but it’s better than not going to school at all," Trustee David Martin said.
Trustee Clayton Beard thanked Sheffer for going "over and above" his normal duties to develop the schedule.
"At the end of the day, it’s about taking care of our students," Beard said. "I think we’re all doing the best we can with what we know and what we can do."
The teachers gained the appreciation of Trustee Mary Lou Burcham.
"I’d just like to say thanks to the teachers for trying to go along with what’s best for the kids," she said. "I know it’s going to be extra work on them as well as on Joe. I want to thank Mr. Taylor for his part, too."
Hackman commended staff from all three schools for their efforts.
"We’re all trying to do our best to try to keep our schools open," she said.
Trustee Brian Wheeler is glad to see the corporation be proactive.
"By being proactive, we’ve been able to avoid a lot of the issues that other school corporations have had, not just in our area but the whole state," he said. "By having a plan in place and acting on it and adjusting, it’s not something that we want to do, but by doing that, we’re avoiding a lot of issues."
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”On the Web” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
A Red/Black day calendar has been posted on the Brownstown Central High School website and social media and emailed to students and parents.
For information, visit btownccs.k12.in.us/community/covid-plan.
[sc:pullout-text-end]