Holcomb: Schools reopening online-only should consider impact on families

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH ) — Educators have expressed concerns about how to prepare for a positive COVID-19 cases in schools, Gov. Eric Holcomb said in Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing, but there is no more important task before state officials than to reopen the schools.

The governor said he is leaving it up to local districts to determine when to reopen and supports those districts starting their school years with online-only instruction. However, Holcomb hopes online-only instruction is temporary.

He said that “I want school districts to be very mindful of what that decision (for online-only instruction) means holistically for the family. Some families will not have child care or another location for their child to go to have a good learning environment, so it’s important, so important, for school districts that chose offering virtual education to also consider the impact on students and their families, and I know they will.

“Please consider opening your buildings and providing transportation for students who need a safe site to participate in their online learning while virtual learning is in session.”

In central Indiana, districts that have announced the start of the new school year with online-only instruction include Anderson, Hamilton Southeastern and the Marion County’s Washington Township Schools.

His words came minutes after he announced a mask mandate for the state beginning Monday. In schools, masks will be required in Grade 3 and higher for faculty and staff, volunteers and anyone in schools. Masks also will be required for co-curricular and extracurricular activities, with exceptions for strenuous physical activity. All students must wear masks on school buses.

Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, secretary of the Indiana Family Social Services Administration, said her agency and the Indiana State Department of Health have created guidelines on how schools should react to positive COVID-19 cases during the upcoming school year. The state also released a document, “Preparation for a Positive Student/Staff: K-12 Schools.”

Students should be confined to “pods,” which are isolated smaller groups from overall classrooms, she said. The decision to shut down for a positive COVID-10 case would be different for a pod versus a classroom. “This is what we have successfully done in the child care setting,” Sullivan said.

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of the Indiana State Department of Health, said schools will space desks farther apart, assign seating, create one-way hallways, and “cohort their students,” which means to put them into groups. These efforts will protect students and teachers, and make it easier to do contact tracing if a COVID-19 cases is found in a school, Weaver said.

When a student or adult in a school tests positive, the state has these guidelines:

  • In a classroom, identify who spent more than 15 minutes within 6 feet of the person for the 48 hours prior to symptoms or a positive test for an asymptomatic person.
  • Close contacts will be asked to quarantine at home for 14 days and will be monitored and guided by the local health department and the state’s centralized contact-tracing center.
  • If any close contacts test positive, the process begins again.
  • If “cohorting” and assigned seating has not been possible, such as for pre-kindergarten through second grade, an entire classroom may need to quarantine.
  • If more than one student tests positive in a classroom, the entire classroom should quarantine for 14 days.
  • No threshold has been set for if an entire school should close. If a school has multiple positive cases, officials should work with the state and local health departments on what steps to take.
  • Siblings of a positive case should quarantine if they are considered a close contact.

Sullivan, who is a pediatrician, said some students have adjusted well since mid-March to online-only learning but other pupils are struggling.

“The idea of returning to the classroom is daunting for some, while others are eager to return,” Sullivan said.

She said school is essential for the well-being of students and their families not only for education, but also for food security, safety, mental health and social emotional learning.

Sullivan said the general public needs to wear masks, limit large gatherings, maintain social distancing and keep hands and surfaces clean to curb the virus transmission and help get students back into classrooms.

“Indiana flattened the curve for health care and now we flatten it for kids,” Sullivan said.

For school districts that are reopening, Sullivan outlined “interventions to minimize the spread and exposure” of COVID-19:

  • Space desks as far as possible facing in the same direction.
  • “Cohort” younger students into pods.
  • Hand wash and disinfect frequently.
  • Plan schedules so that a minimum number of students are close contacts.
  • Do not conduct birthday parties or other events that put students in close contact.
  • Isolate and send home any person who develops symptoms.

Holcomb also asked all school districts to also apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s pandemic public assistance program. He said applying will reimburse schools for their costs for reopening safely. The deadline to apply is July 31 via the FEMA grant’s website.

The governor also said the state’s Economic Development Corp. and Indianapolis-based Langham Logistics have delivered an estimated 1.1 million masks to 228 schools and school districts by the end of the week. “That means in the first six days, not weeks, days of this program, we have delivered more than half the total number of masks requested statewide.” All deliveries are scheduled to be completed by Aug. 7, and the deliveries are being posted on the state’s coronavirus website.

On Wednesday, the Indiana State Department of Health announced 763 new COVID-19 cases and 14 additional deaths. The 763 COVID-19 cases are from July 21 and the new deaths are from between June 19 and July 21. In total, there are 58,673 COVID-19 cases and 2,666 deaths related to the virus in Indiana. According to the department, there have been 654,413 tests administered in the state.

The state currently has 214 coronavirus testing sites. The testing is free.

Statements

“We appreciate Gov. Holcomb meeting with and listening to ISTA members’ concerns for the health and safety of Hoosier students and educators. Two of ISTA’s top priorities were met today – a statewide mask mandate and more detailed guidance on reopening schools. We will continue to advocate for doing what’s best for educators and the students they serve to ensure a safe learning and working environment.”

Keith Gambill, president of Indiana State Teachers Association

“I wholeheartedly agree with the governor’s new mandate for mask wearing across the state. Medical professionals have, for some time, called for mask mandates as cases rise across the state and country. Just as we must wear seat belts to protect ourselves while driving, we must now wear a face covering to ensure we can keep all Hoosiers safe.

“I do challenge the governor to make sure that the state is doing all it can to assist schools to open safely. Right now, based upon feedback I am getting from my constituents, I am still skeptical that schools have received enough guidance and resources to actually do what the governor is calling upon them to accomplish.

“The health and safety of our children, teachers and staff must be our top priorities. We must resist pressuring schools to reopen prematurely, and I hope that Governor Holcomb will publicly rebuke the president’s threats to strip funding away from schools who refuse to open. The governor’s pressure on schools to open should not supersede any concerns that our teachers and parents have expressed.

“The governor’s insistence for schools to open underlines my point from Democrats’ joint press conference yesterday. If we expect all schools to reopen safely, then there should be no reason to forbid elected officials to safely and smartly hold a special session to vote on important legislation that Hoosiers need now. It’s time to address police violence, extend no-excuse absentee voting and get COVID-19 resources to those who desperately need them. Let’s get to work to help Hoosier families.”

 State Sen. Tim Lanane, a Democrat from Anderson)