Youngstown William Holmes McGuffey PK-8 Elementary School third-grade teacher Marc Ellis teaches a math lesson to students in September 2019. Youngstown schools CEO Justin Jennings is noncommittal about when students in the Mahoning Valley’s largest district will return to classrooms for in-person teaching, but Gov. Mike DeWine wants students to return by March 1. Staff file photo / R. Michael Semple

Youngstown schools CEO Justin Jennings is noncommittal about when students in the Mahoning Valley’s largest district will return to classrooms for in-person teaching.

Youngstown schools have been operating under an all-remote system since the governor closed schools last spring.

“We are continuing to review our options,” Jennings said. “We are looking at the science in making our decisions. We are talking to local and state health departments, to doctors at both Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, and are looking at what is being done in school districts with similar socio-economic makeup as Youngstown.”

Most Mahoning Valley school districts are working to be open with students learning in their buildings by March, as desired by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

But they, too, are concerned about making sure the buildings are safe for everyone inside of them.

DeWine last week announced he wants children back to in-person school learning by March 1.

The governor said school districts wanting to have their staff get the COVID-19 vaccine should have written plans for their students to return under either a hybrid plan or fully in person.

Teachers are among those expected to receive vaccines in Ohio’s Phase 1B rollout expected to begin over the next two weeks.

The ability of the Youngstown district’s teachers and staff to get the vaccine also will be added to Jennings’ calculation in determining when the district will reopen its buildings to students.

“We want our scholars back in schools, but we also want everyone to be safe,” he said. “I’m optimistic we will return. We want our scholars in-person, because we believe it is the best place to learn. We want our seniors to have the experiences of their graduation year.”

Jennings did express concern that students will not be inoculated. No COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for children younger than 16.

Jennings said the administration has been having discussions with the district’s teachers, staff members and parents. “We’ve been reviewing our options every week,” he said.

The district is prepared to reopen its buildings once leadership feels it is safe.

“We’ve purchased and installed sanitation stations, have PPE (personal protective equipment), and other equipment needed for reopening,” Jennings said “We have done what is needed to do a hybrid system, fully reopen in-person or remain fully remote.”

Jennings emphasized the decision to have students return to in-person learning will be based on science and not influenced by other factors.

“We don’t know the repercussions of the holiday season on the virus spread,” he said.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said school districts such as Youngstown that have safety concerns should be prioritized.

“We think it is really important to prioritize the needs of students of color in high-poverty districts,” he said. “If a district is going to priorize safety, they should be on the top of the list for vaccinations. Let’s not punish them for not reopening their buildings for in-person education by not providing the vaccine to their employees. It should not be the goal of using the vaccine as a carrot and the stick.”

HYBRID PLAN

Girard Superintendent Bryan O’Hara said the district, which has been operating under five-day remote learning since September, this week will begin bringing students back under a limited hybrid plan.

“Group A, which has approximately 600 students, will begin this week and group B, also with approximately 600 students, will begin in-building learning during the week of Jan. 18,” O’Hara said. “Students in group A will have classes on Wednesday and Group B students will begin having in-building classes on Thursdays.”

The district has 1,800 students. Approximately 70 percent currently are being taught through the district’s hybrid portal. The remainder are being taught with an e-learning program that allows students to learn at their own pace.

“We are gathering survey data from our residents to determine when they want their children to return to our buildings,” O’Hara said. “We intended for our students to return to in-building learning during our second semester.”

O’Hara emphasized the district wants its students back being taught in the buildings, but only under the safest possible conditions.

“Having the vaccine will help, because it will impact on the spread,” O’Hara said. “We want to make sure we can keep students 6 feet apart even when they all return.”

PARENTS COMFORTABLE?

Brookfield Schools Superintendent Toby Gibson said his district’s schools reopened last week.

“We are back to the hybrid model that we began the school year with, back in August,” Gibson said. “We have between eight to 10 percent of our students that are completely remote. The majority of our students have been attending classes in our classrooms, but on a staggered schedule in which some are in the buildings a few days a week.”

Gibson said he has been in contact with parents whose children have been attending schools on a fully remote basis. He’s trying to determine if, and when, they will be comfortable allowing their children to return to school buildings with other students.

The superintendent said his primary concern is making sure he is protecting the health of both students and staff.

“We are reviewing what is happening every two to three weeks,” Gibson said. “Look at what happened over the last five weeks. We’ve been in and out of quarantine.”

The Brookfield school district has an estimated 1,020 students.

STUDENT GROUPS

Warren schools are expected to reopen Jan. 21 for one group of students and Jan. 25 for a second group. The two groups — cohorts B and A — may be combined to attend school four days per week as early as March, depending on health conditions and adult vaccinations in the city and among district employees.

“We have been preparing for a vaccination opportunity for our staff in coordination with local health officials as soon as it becomes available, and we believe this will help us return our students and staff to the classroom, hopefully as early as March,” Superintendent Steve Chiaro noted.

LaBrae Superintendent Anthony J. Calderone, too, said school districts want their students back in buildings — but only when it’s safe.

“Data has proven that in-school transmissions have been low,” Calderone said. “Those identified having COVID-19 — mostly staff and teachers — generally were exposed in the community, away from school.”

“Vaccinations will alleviate staffing issues,” Calderone said.

rsmith@tribtoday.com