Manatee superintendent eyes full return for elementary students, hybrid classes for others

During a long-awaited school board meeting on Thursday morning, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders recommended that elementary students make a full return in the 2020-21 school year, and that secondary schools use a “hybrid model.”

After campuses were closed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, elementary-age children struggled the most with online learning, as did their parents, the superintendent said.

With a full return to school, she said, K-5 students could focus on their education and their social-emotional health, while parents could return to work.

About a dozen people spoke during public comment, addressing the board via webcams at several high schools throughout the district. Some felt it was important to have a routine, with students in school and parents at work, and others said online learning was a letdown.

At least one parent was concerned about students attending school and bringing the virus home to their parents or grandparents, and another pointed to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Manatee County surpassed 2,200 cases on Thursday morning, while the death count stood at 128.

“Even when the board decides how we should proceed, it could change,” Saunders cautioned. “There’s a lot of time between now and Aug. 10, and there’s a lot of school year in front of us, but we’re going to make the very best decisions we can.”

The plan would require strict safety measures. Saunders highlighted the need for face coverings — whether it be masks or clear face shields — in areas where social distancing was impossible. The district could also install Plexiglass dividers between desks and tables.

“From the feedback I’ve received, I believe almost every elementary school is purchasing the face shield for their teachers, for that very reason,” Saunders said. “Not just for the students that have an IEP, but the learning and the formation of sounds and words are needed to be seen and heard clearly for all students. WIth a shield, that’s not muffled or a barrier.”

Saunders then unveiled her recommendations for middle and high schools, along with Manatee Technical College:

• Sixth-graders would attend in-person classes four days per week and online learning one day per week.

• Students in grades seven through 12 would fall under a “hybrid schedule,” rotating between in-person and online classes throughout the week.

• Middle and high school students in self-contained classrooms, meant for children with special needs, would return full time.

• Manatee Technical College would also follow a hybrid model.

The recommendation was different from elementary schools, Saunders said, because it was harder to follow social distancing guidelines at middle and high schools. Older students could also work from home without the need for child care or help from their parents, she continued.

Thursday’s meeting was purely for discussion, and board members are expected to reach a final decision in the coming weeks. And regardless of the final plan, families will have the option to continue with full-time online learning, according to Thursday’s presentation.

The plans could also change by Aug. 10, the start of school for students, and they could change at any point during the school year. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases were climbing in Manatee County and throughout Florida.

Less than 24 hours before the board meeting, district officials closed the administration building in downtown Bradenton, where board meetings are usually held. According to a news release, the board meeting was relocated “for precautionary reasons related to an employee’s potential exposure to COVID-19.”

About one week ago, the school district confirmed that Palmetto High School was disinfected after a district employee tested positive for the respiratory illness.

“Because we’re ranked No. 11 in the state (out of 67 counties) in terms of infection, probably easing them in is the best way to go, just to ensure the safety not only of the students, but of the employees,” Saunders said.

Mask or no mask?

A mask requirement is likely in the new school year, though it may apply to crowded areas, such as school buses and hallways, and not in classrooms with barriers or social distancing.

Under the superintendent’s proposal, face coverings “must be worn” by staff and students when they enter campus and navigate common areas. Masks or shields would be worn in classrooms “at the teacher’s discretion.”

Though she was later outnumbered, board Chair Gina Messenger said she would rather encourage the use of face coverings, instead of issuing a requirement.

“I don’t want to put the teacher in a place where they’re spending their whole day arguing with a kid about wearing it versus teaching a kid,” she said.

Conversely, the board’s vice chair said he hoped to see masks used throughout the day, including the time spent in classrooms.

“We want to get back to normal as soon as we possibly can, and the best way to do that is by wearing a mask or face covering,” Charlie Kennedy said.

Board member James Golden voiced his support for masks inside buses and schools, and board member Scott Hopes has long supported the use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hopes — who has a master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics — urged the board to rely on facts and data when making decisions.

“We need to set aside some of these false assumptions that are being made with regard to younger children not being able to wear a mask,” Hopes said. “As you know, I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia, earlier with SARS and now with this.”

“I will tell you, children as young as toddlers are wearing masks and wearing them every day,” he continued. “It’s a habit.”

Buses, meals and school activities

The challenges will start well before students arrive on campus.

Manatee plans to have two students per seat on the district school buses. Ideally, there would be one student per seat, allowing for more distance between riders, but Saunders said that goal was out of reach.

“We would have needed 34 more buses with 34 more drivers and 34 more aides,” she said. “There’s no way humanly possible to make that happen.”

Students will likely have their temperature checked at each bus stop, and if they register above 100.4, they would be placed in an “isolation seat” on the bus. They would again be isolated at school, until a parent or guardian can pick them up.

Her presentation also called for limited gatherings, events and extracurricular activities. Board member Dave Miner asked whether band classes, choir, drama programs and other activities would be feasible in the new year.

With attention to proper cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing, the superintendent said district officials were forming plans with help from band directors and other educators. The plans would soon be shared with schools, she continued.

“In the past, students shared equipment, not only in music but also in art and so forth,” Saunders said. “They’re coming up with the guidelines for each of those subject areas.”

Responding to a public comment about parents’ desire to keep art and band programs open, Golden said the district should focus more on safety than short-term concerns.

“As I understand it, if you get COVID-19 you die,” he said. “If you miss band practice, you just miss band practice. I know that’s hyperbole, but the emotions are running high here.”

The district will also re-imagine its school lunches. Each school will have its own plan, which may include outdoor seating, grab-and-go bags and marked floors to encourage social distancing.

There was much to be done before August. During its three-hour meeting on Thursday, the board envisioned students’ return to school, and the need to address the emotional strain they experienced in recent months.

The same was true for students who fell behind in their education. And for students on the hybrid model, which days would be online and which would be in-person?

“The one thing we were mindful of, whenever the schedule is remote at home, that siblings would have the same schedule, no matter what school or level they were at,” Saunders said. “We needed to keep that into consideration but, no, we haven’t worked out each school schedule yet.”

Once a plan was finalized, Messenger said it should be constantly reviewed as local circumstances changes. She was especially concerned about the weekly switch between online and in-person learning.

“I have taken college classes that were hybrid courses,” she said. “I did the worst in them.”

In response, Saunders said the district could do a review each quarter. If the district was successful in curbing the spread of COVID-19, perhaps more students could return to campus on a weekly basis.

As of Thursday, she planned to update the proposal and bring it to the board’s July 9 workshop. The board would then vote on a final plan during its meeting on July 14.

“No matter what we decide, it’s not going to be perfect until COVID-19 is subsided and passes and there’s a vaccination,” the superintendent said.

This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 12:04 PM.