Prairie Grove schools will require masks

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove School District will follow the lead of many schools in the state and require employees and students to wear face coverings when social distancing guidelines cannot be observed.

The new mandate will be in place in school buildings and on school buses when school starts Aug. 26.

Reba Holmes, superintendent, said the district changed the policy from strongly recommended to required because Prairie Grove and the state are requiring face coverings when distancing isn’t possible.

“We’re not going to send anyone home,” Holmes said, adding staff would provide a mask to someone who isn’t wearing a face covering.

Holmes said the district has 7,500 washable masks and has ordered 5,000 neck gaiters and 10,000 surgical masks for students and staff.

Prairie Grove will offer students two options: traditional on-site classes that include a digital component or online school for all classes.

PARENT SURVEY RESULTS

An online parent survey showed 73% of students would return for on-site classes and 27% would stay home for online learning.

Pete Joenks, assistant superintendent, discussed the survey results at the School Board’s July 21 meeting. Asked if he saw a trend for students staying home, Joenks said he didn’t. He said it was fairly even for the number of kids in kindergarten through seniors selecting online classes.

Joenks said the survey will help school officials plan for on-site students and give principals a good indication on how parents are leaning.

“A lot of people are waiting to see what happens,” Joenks said. “We’re going to wait and make people commit around Labor Day.”

After their children attend class either on-site or online for a couple of weeks, parents may change their minds, Joenks said.

Prairie Grove also is asking parents to commit to on-site or online for nine weeks.

Principals and teachers are looking at their classrooms to configure space for their onsite students.

David Kellogg, assistant superintendent, said for a typical classroom in Arkansas with more than 16 kids, it would be rare to be able to have them 6 feet from each other.

However, Joenks said teachers will give students opportunities to take a break from wearing masks during the school day.

“It would be hard for them to wear masks for the full day,” Joenks said, noting students are going to have to get used to wearing masks.

“We want to be respectful and compassionate,” Joenks said.

QUESTIONS FROM BOARD

School Board members had lots of questions about how school would look.

Holmes said a student may be allowed to change from online to on-site, but if a student is behind in school work, there may have to be a catch-up time. For example, the student may meet with someone in the cafeteria with a computer to catch up with the rest of the class.

If students attending online school aren’t doing their online work, they’ll be considered absent, Holmes said. Depending on the grade, students should be spending three-five hours each day for online school.

Cleaning protocols are still being developed but spray bottles with disinfectants, hand sanitizer, paper towels, disinfectant fog machines and other items will be available to make sure school buildings are sanitized. Other items being purchased include gloves and masks and thermometers.

The school is considering hiring people to clean after hours. This could include paraprofessionals or bus drivers.

Kellogg said the school is looking for affordable and sustainable equipment and cleaning items.

CHROMEBOOKS ON ORDER

The School Board voted to buy 240 Google Chromebooks for $50,112 and 180 Chromebooks for $48,702.

Shawn Witt, director of technology and security, said the district has surveyed those parents whose children will go to school online to see if they have electronic devices at home and if they have internet access. Ten indicated they have neither.

Witt said he’s more concerned about the needs of the on-site students who will not have internet access or a computer if schools are closed and kids are sent home because of positive covid-19 cases.

“I’m worried about getting the equipment here on time,” Witt said, noting some of the new Chromebooks purchased are on backorder until September and he expects the others to arrive mid-August.

Students were allowed to keep school Chromebooks at the end of the 2019-20 school year, and Witt said he wants students to hold onto those, in case new computers do not come in on time.

The difference in price between the two orders, Witt said, is because as schools across the country are trying to order Chromebooks and other computers for their students. He compared it to the price of gas changing from morning to evening.

Chromebooks costing $175 a year ago now cost around $210 but aren’t in stock. A Chromebook in stock can cost $260-$280.

The school has purchased 25 wireless hot spots and 40 USB flash drives to help students. Students also will be able to connect to the internet at different locations in the community, including school parking lots.

In addition, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the state is allocating $10 million from the Emergency Education Relief Fund to purchase 20,000 internet hot spots to be distributed to schools for students who are in need.

In other news related to the new coronavirus, school nurse Danielle Randolph will be the district’s point of contact for the Arkansas Department of Health and CDC.

Central office staff is being cross trained in case anyone has to miss work because of covid-19.

SCHOOL CALENDAR UPDATED

For the new school calendar, school will start Aug. 26 and the last day of school will be May 28. The first semester will end Jan. 15.

Prairie Grove’s school calendar gives 4-day weekends almost every month, except November, March and May. Holmes said teachers wanted to keep those longer weekends, so those extra days off will be changed to “digital days,” which means students will be given minimal work and teachers will check their computers and answer questions.

For Thanksgiving week, Monday and Tuesday will be changed to digital days.

Digital days will give students and teachers a chance to “breathe and catch up,” Holmes said.