By Ashley McCarty
People’s Defender
The attendance percentages of Adams County Ohio Valley School District during COVID-19 attest to the dedication shown by its staff.
“Like any year, as we wind down out of the 2020-2021 school year, we can reflect on a lot of things. This has been a very unusual year, and it really starts back to March 13, 2020, when school was shut down. Schools, businesses, just the normal person, we didn’t know what we were faced with. Specific to the school, I can’t even really remember the summer of 2020. It was a blur. We were trying to study and put the pieces together on what the school year was going to look like,” said ACOVSD Superintendent Richard Seas.
With the approval and endorsement of Adams County Health Director Dr. William Hablitzel, ACOVSD devised a Reopening Action Plan, which was made public in late July of last year.
“I really appreciate Dr. William Hablitzel. We contract his staff of nurses. They worked with us not just in the setup of the school year, but all throughout the year when we were dealing with quarantining issues because there were things not understood, and investigations took place. All of a sudden I was losing teachers, kids being quarantined, and sports and athletic teams being wrecked as a result of the quarantines. It was just problematic for a lot of people,” said Seas.
As cases began to explode, the big decision that had to be made as the new school year approached was to go virtual or go in-person five days a week.
“So, when you started looking at the options, the big issue — yeah, everybody wearing a mask is one thing — but the social distancing was problematic. If you look at our high schools, the room size of a high school room is roughly 815 sq/ft, smaller than the elementary rooms which went through an OSFC building project. They’re about 900 sq/ft. Let’s think about this. High school, grades 7-12, bigger bodies in a smaller room. In elementary, you’ve got a little bit bigger room, but smaller bodies. So, we’re just looking at this from different sides — what are we going to do?” said Seas.
People in the community were filled with fear, worried about the safety of their children or that potentially compromised loved one.
“So, the decision that we made — this was key — we made the decision since we have a principal that does virtual, to expand that option for our school community. In doing that, we ended up having about — I think it was initially over 700 students signed up for virtual — but what did that present for us? That presented us with the opportunity to space students out to socially distance. It then allowed us to go in-person five days a week,” said Seas.
The decision accommodated both the needs of individuals and the district.
“Now, there are so many bugaboos with masses like that going virtual. We’re not the only school that experienced that. Now, I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to try to do a wholesale virtual option for kids. I’d say the quality of that education would not have been anywhere near what we were able to accomplish getting the masses in five days a week in-person. It was a good decision for the business side of education to offer than in-house versus having another vendor come in. It kept some connection to us, so as some people realized virtual wasn’t working, they were able to flow right back into the building,” said Seas.
Seas readily admitted that the virtual option was not perfect, however.
“It was brand new for us. As it relates to attendance, these numbers [prepared by my secretary] are just a snapshot from [when school began in] August, to October, January, February, April and May. You can see the numbers listed for overall district percentage for no virtual included and the overall district percentage with virtual included as it relates to attendance,” said Seas.
No Virtual Included:
Aug. — 96.49 percent
Oct. — 93.70 percent
Jan. — 93.74 percent
Feb. — 98.51 percent
April — 93.91 percent
May — 92.83 percent
Virtual Included:
Aug. — 94.83 percent
Oct. — 92.41 percent
Jan. — 93.48 percent
Feb. — 96.17 percent
April — 93.07 percent
May — 92.10 percent
“Those percentages right there — I’m so proud of the entire staff. I know how hard they work, and how hard they worked to keep the safety protocol in mind. They would have liked to have done much more, but they couldn’t. They couldn’t expand some of these opportunities, things that they would have normally done. Any teacher that’s been around for a few years has a bank of lessons and things that they would have done that maybe they can’t do as a result of COVID-19. But, I couldn’t be prouder of the staff that I work with. That’s everybody from the part-time cleaners that we brought in, the custodians, to the bus drivers,” said Seas.
Despite the numerable growing pains in the short period of time, those percentages are amazing, he said.
“We made the decision, and it really begins with the strength of the board. They took a lot of heat, and I took a lot of heat. Principals had to deal with the quarantine issues, and they’re waking up some mornings trying to figure out how to cover classes with no substitute teachers to pick from. I have to focus on our district, and I’m really glad we made the decision to go five days in-person, I’m glad the board allowed for and supported that,” said Seas.
Despite the dedication of staff, however, the educational gaps contributed by virtual and COVID-19 had to be acknowledged.
“Some of the students that went online did not receive the same type of instruction that lines up with what the state would want us to do for our students in preparation for the state testing. We’ll have to contend and be accountable for that. We were charged with — as with every other school — to put together an Extended Learning Plan. We’re trying to sort out how we can best utilize and maximize the federal dollars that we’ve been given,” said Seas.
Last year, as COVID-19 forced most gatherings to go virtual, the district had to adapt its graduating ceremonies to strict guidelines and safety measures.
“It saddens me that this particular class graduating — although it’s great they get to come in person — that their opportunities and their experiences have been limited. That bugs me because my role and the role of our board, administrators, and teachers is to provide these students with educational opportunities and experiences. There are many things that got curtailed as a result of COVID-19. But, if you think about it, I feel blessed that we get to go to a graduation this year. Last year we didn’t. I feel blessed that the vaccines are out there, and people have the opportunity to get them [if they desire],” said Seas.
As mandates in Ohio shrivel with the decline of COVID-19, next year looks even more promising.
“We’re looking next year for things to be back to normal, and get back to knowing what we know we can do,” Seas said.
