Schools will finalize plans in last week before classes start
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With the Sept. 1 start of the 2020-21 school year rapidly approaching, Waterford school officials assembled virtually for a town hall meeting Aug. 10 to discuss how fall instruction might shape up at an unprecedented time.
Top-level staffers in the Waterford Graded and Waterford Union High School districts fielded parents’ questions and outlined the extensive planning processes amid the COVID-19 pandemic during the meeting.
Officials have yet to make a firm decision on this fall’s instruction plans, opting to wait until the last week in August to review data and the recommendations coming from the Central Racine County Health Department.
WGSD District Administrator Ed Brzinski provided a snapshot of what in-person instruction could look like at the district’s four buildings once the school bell resumes ringing Sept. 1.
“We are going to have physical distancing, as much as we can,” Brzinski said. “We want to utilize the outside as much as possible, for as long as possible”
The district’s plan, Brzinski said, is to have two adults on site within classrooms to help with the physical distancing precautions that are anticipated. Other precautions, Brzinski said, will include dividers.
Despite the challenging environment, Brzinski said WGSD’s goal is to offer students “a fun, interactive experience, to the greatest extent possible.”
Students will be required to wear face masks during the school day, Brzinski said, but accommodations are in the works to provide respites on a routine basis. So-called “mask breaks,” he said, are in the works with staff direction during some outdoor activities.
WGSD faces a unique logistical challenge beyond the coronavirus — Fox River Middle School, which has undergone renovations and expansion through a referendum-fueled project, is welcoming a larger student body through grade-level reconfigurations.
But Fox River Principal Jason Werchowski said steps are being taken to help students navigate the school’s new layout. Plans call for hosting students, in-person, in phases, by grade level.
High school plans
Over at Waterford Union High School, administrators have been creating their own reopening plans with collaboration with each of the four K-8 feeders in mind.
WUHS District Administrator Luke Francois acknowledged each of the feeders has the ability to set its own plans, based on the autonomous School Boards’ directives, but a cohesive model is the overarching goal.
Dan Foster, the high school’s principal, echoed comments from WGSD staffers about the planned precautions, including face masks and a bountiful supply of hand sanitizer.
The goal, as much as possible, is to offer students instruction five days per week at WUHS, Foster said, but the plans will remain fluid. The final announcement of specifics is slated for Aug. 25 — a week before school starts.
“Once we have that most current data, it will guide our decision making,” Foster said.
As for face masks, Foster said the high school’s intent is to continue requiring them after Gov. Tony Evers’ order expires in late September.
“We’re basing (the requirement), based on the data and what we’ve seen elsewhere,” Foster said.
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