All Stillwater students to return to the classroom after spring break
Feb. 27—All students in Stillwater Public Schools will be returning to full-time, in-person instruction after spring break, as long as community infection rates don't rise sharply between now and then.
The Stillwater Board of Education made the decision Friday after debating whether secondary students should return to five-day schooling as soon as spring break ends or whether the older students should continue on the alternating A/B schedule for a week to see how spring break impacts infections.
Spring break is scheduled for March 13-21.
After determining that the district's Safety Protocols Committee hadn't had a strong opinion either way when it recommended the more phased approach and acknowledging that it would take 7-14 days for the full impact of spring break to be felt, the board members voted to bring students at all levels back full-time beginning March 22.
The school board will do a final comprehensive review during its March meeting to assess local conditions and ensure they still support in-person learning, five days a week.
Throughout the year, the district has weighed the disadvantage of distance learning against the increased safety it could provide from COVID-19 infection, especially for elementary students.
But with community infection rates dropping and an ever-increasing number of teachers and staff getting vaccinated, SPS is preparing to bring all kids back to the classroom with the use of personal protective equipment and other recommended precautions.
Assistant Superintendent for Operations Dana Renner said recommendations recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won't change much.
"We've been doing this," she said she told district staff. "These are not new things."
The situation will be continually monitored and individual classes or school sites could be shut down as needed but some board members didn't think the public would be very accepting of a general return to distance learning.
"People would have to see a pretty significant nosedive," Board Vice President Tim Riley said.
Superintendent Marc Moore told board members the district was able to vaccinate 325 teachers and staff at a clinic it sponsored the previous weekend. Another 200 have signed up for a second clinic to be held Saturday.
Between the district-sponsored clinics and the individuals who have been vaccinated at other locations, he estimated up to 70% of the teachers and staff have now had at least their first shot. Some have completed their two-shot series.
The district is not mandating vaccination for those who don't want it.
Human Resources Director Bo Gamble said having a large percentage of the staff vaccinated accomplishes two things: It protects the staff and it allows the district to staff more effectively by reducing absences due to COVID-19 infection or exposure.
Quarantine is not always required for people who have been vaccinated and meet certain other guidelines.
In preparation for in-person learning SPS is working to recruit more substitute teachers. Even if there are fewer absences caused by COVID-19, teachers will still need days off for other reasons.
Communications Coordinator Barry Fuxa previously told the News Press the district has about half its usual substitute pool.
To encourage applicants, SPS is waiving the fee they usually pay for background checks, Gamble said. The district is absorbing the cost. SPS is also expanding eligibilty of the vaccination clinics to substitute teachers.
For more information about Stillwater Public Schools or to apply for open positions, go to stillwaterschools.com.
Twitter: @mcharlesNP
