HANCOCK COUNTY — The state is barring K-12 schools from conducting in-person instruction for the rest of the 2019-20 academic year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer McCormick, Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction, announced on Thursday that schools in the state will use e-learning for the rest of the school year. School buildings, she added, will remain closed unless otherwise stipulated.
“It’s going to take a collective effort to save lives, and schools must do their part,” McCormick said.
To complete the school year, all schools previously received a 20-day waiver to reduce the number of required in-person or remote instruction days to 160. Schools must continue to provide instruction via remote learning until they complete either 160 instructional days or at least 20 additional days of remote learning between Thursday, April 2, and the end of the school year. If a school completes 20 days and falls short of the required 160 instructional days, the Indiana Department of Education can waive the difference.
“Our goal given this very difficult situation is to ensure that students have some type of continuous learning,” McCormick said.
Harold Olin, superintendent of Greenfield-Central schools, said he was anticipating the announcement after hearing about several other states that took similar actions. He added he’s seeking input from teachers and school board members on what the school corporation’s calendar should look like for the rest of the year and anticipates it will be updated by early next week. Olin also said the corporation has used two waiver days so far — March 13 and 30. The other county districts also have used a handful of waiver days so far.
All Indiana K-12 schools will need to submit a plan for review and approval by the department of education by April 17. The plan can include e-learning, extended learning, project-based or portfolio learning, competency-based learning, partnerships with higher education for increased student supports and other similar methods.
All Hancock County schools are equipped with e-learning capabilities.
McCormick and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb also directed the Indiana State Board of Education to provide flexibility for school corporations for students who are to graduate in 2020. A school corporation may issue an Indiana diploma to a student who has done all of the following:
Has met all of the course and credit requirements for the specific diploma designation based on a combination of high school credits earned prior to and the course in which a student was enrolled as of March 19, when the governor issued the statewide school closure.
Meets any virtual or remote learning participation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation in response to the statewide school closure order issued by the governor.
Meets any additional graduation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation prior to the school closure order issued by the governor.
Olin said he applauds that decision.
“They are trying to be as gracious as possible, especially for the class of 2020, just understanding the circumstances they’re in,” he said. “They want to give them every opportunity to graduate. I think it’s the right move.”
The state’s goal is to get graduates “across that stage,” McCormick said.
When it comes to Greenfield-Central High School’s class of 2020, there’s a strong chance that stage will be metaphorical.
“If the whole idea of social distancing continues as I know it will up through the end of May, a traditional graduation is just not going to happen,” Olin said.
He added he and high school principal Jason Cary have been exchanging ideas about holding graduation virtually. Companies have been anticipating the need for such a change and are reaching out to high school principals about possibilities, Olin continued.
Olin said prom, originally scheduled for late April, won’t be possible to do in person either. The school corporation is trying to find ways for students to celebrate safely and still have some of those milestone events, he added.
“It’s going to be very different, if we have anything at all along those lines,” he said.
Thursday’s executive order also extends teacher licenses expiring between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2020 until Sept. 1, 2020.
