School districts that have been providing lessons and food for students say they are prepared to extend these services through the end of the school year.

Gov. Mike DeWine this week announced what was expected to be a three-week break from school while the state attempted to flatten the curve on the spread of COVID-19 has been extended to at least May 1.

School districts have worked to make sure students have been able to keep up with their grade-level school work by taking classroom lessons online and, for some, providing books and delivering lessons.

Brittany Morell, a spokesperson with the Austintown Local School District, said it will continue its long-distance learning.

Youngstown City School District expects to continue to provide food for its students through a weekly distribution, according to Denise Dick, spokeswoman.

“We’re in discussions now to determine the best way to assemble and distribute work to our scholars for the extended shutdown,” Dick said.

Liberty, Howland, Hubbard and Mathews school districts each is continuing to provide alternative and online instructional models, according to Kate Keller, a spokeswoman for the districts.

“They worked to identify students who have had access issues and have tried to provide those students with tablet devices,” Keller said. “Teachers and administrators continue to meet virtually several times a week — with each other and with students.”

WARREN SCHOOLS

Steve Chiaro, superintendent of Warren City Schools, said students at Warren G. Harding High School grades 9-12 are receiving all of their lessons through Microsoft Office 365. Each family was given the opportunity to receive a Chromebook for the remainder of the school year from which assignments can be accessed.

Students in grades pre-K-8 have been receiving their assignments via paper work packets picked up at the schools 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the beginning of each week.

This week, students in grades 6-8 also are being given the opportunity to receive a Chromebook for the remainder of the year — because their assignments on Monday completely will move to a online platform using Microsoft Office 365, just as the students are at Harding.

Warren schools are distributing a sack breakfast and lunch to children Mondays through Fridays when schools are scheduled to be in session at each of its five school buildings, as well as 14 additional community locations.

Parents and students are adjusting to the district’s new reality, Chiaro said.

OTHER DISTRICTS

LaBrae Local School District Superintendent Anthony .J. Calderone said district leaders already were planning for school to be closed beyond the three-week period initially announced last month.

“We are continuing to hand out Chromebooks and informing parents of the free internet available that may be gotten through Spectrum and other services,” Calderone said.

Calderone said some families in Warren Township and other communities cannot access online learning because of their incomes and other factors. District teachers are putting together physical learning packages that may be picked up by parents.

“Parents need to contact their school principals to make arrangements to pick up lessons,” Calderone said. “Schools will be opened on staggered schedules.”

Brookfield Local Schools is delivering lessons online through Google Classroom, according to district spokeswoman Brittany Bissell. All Brookfield teachers have set up classrooms, and principals are in the process of sharing with parents how to log in to student and teacher classrooms.

The district also created a link on the Brookfield Local Schools website for 2020-21 scheduling, course descriptions, scholarship information, College Credit-Plus information and a video with more details, Bissell said.

On Mondays, Liberty, Austintown and Hubbard offer five to-go breakfasts / lunches to families.

Howland is offering five days worth of to-go meals Tuesdays and Thursdays. Its pantry also is fulfilling requests, which can be picked up on Tuesdays and Thursdays.