Owensboro School Board Votes On Spring Semester Plans

Zones.

With owensboro public schools teetering on -- decision to return to virtual learning as part of a red zone themselves.

District leaders -- are also looking to next semester.

44news reporter marisa patwa caught up with the superintendent earlier today and has the latest.

We don know what going to happen with the virus data?

With that thinking in mind - the owensboro school board is recommending they could start the second semester with the nti model won be made until jan.

7th.

The biggest change between first and second semester?

Instead of choosing which model they are on every two weeks - the board will decide on a different model once a week - it not ideal - nothing in this scenario is ideal unless we have five days of everybody back - right?

But it would be the best scenario possible given the health and safety and i also feel better about it though because we have experienced every model that we would be proposing.

So it not like we don know what that looks like and feels like.

We do.

And so i think wel be able to be more nimble as we move through the next semester?

And with 35 quarantines within the school in the last two weeks horton with the green river health district says daviess county is not tending well as they head into the new year.

I think as a community we have to figure out how we implore people to do the right things.

And how do we all adapt this to our daily lives and make sure that wee all being careful- i think schools have a big role to play in that?

The school board also based their decision on surveys they sent out to parents and teachers focused specifically on the the youngest grades and out of 161 elementary members interviewed over 100 said they would not feel comfortable teaching in person for five-days a week next semester .?i have been more stressed as a teacher this year trying to maintain the extra cleaning precautions and trying to keep children at a safe distance - i can imagine what that going to be like with a class full of student?

While many parents are wanting to keep their kids in school five days a week?i beg you - to think about the fall out from the school year if we do not make significant changes.

We should not sacrifice our children education because of the pandemic?

The superintendent says he understands their concerns - but has to put health safety first "above all else we have to ensure that our students and our safe when they come into the building and right now wee been getting guidance wee been following.

Wee had minimal spread inside our buildings we want to keep that pattern going?

The school board will meet with all building principals over the next week to share their recommendation s.

Reporting in owensboro marisa patwa