Superintendent's Message 8/1/2020

Superintendent's Message 8/1/2020

Keystone Families,

 We hope you and your family are enjoying a healthy and relaxing summer vacation. As we look ahead to the 2020-2021 school year, and consider the guidance that comes out daily from organizations such as the Lorain County Health Department, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Education, we know that we must prepare for different scenarios considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

We greatly appreciate the over 1,000 survey responses we received on how remote learning went in the spring and also your preferences about returning in the fall.  We have analyzed the results from both surveys and also surveyed our staff about their feelings.  When combining the survey results of families and staff, over 80% of respondents want to return to school full time in the fall. 

As always, the Keystone Local School District is committed to providing the best learning opportunities for all students while also keeping in mind that families have a great amount of safety concerns caused by the pandemic.  Throughout the summer, our district leaders have been in contact with other districts and have also received guidance from Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell and Gov. Mike DeWine.  One message that is consistently stated by all parties is that the information and guidance we are receiving is very fluid and is changing often. We also understand that, no matter how fluid the situation is, families need to know their options for the fall.  Therefore, please know, the options below are what we are planning for in the fall.

Option 1: Keystone Local School District plans to offer a traditional, face-to-face seven-hour day and five-day-per-week schedule for all students as this is what the overwhelming majority of our families and staff indicated in our surveys.

Option 2: We also understand that we have families that are not comfortable with a full return. Therefore, we are working on, and will be providing an online option for families as well. This option will look different from the remote learning that took place in the spring. 

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to work with other surrounding districts as well as Health Commissioner Covell to continue to develop our reopening plans. Included in these plans, we will address distancing, washing of hands, sanitizing and cleaning, screening and health assessments, and face coverings.   Once these plans are fully developed, we will be sharing the plans and asking you to fill out a survey to inform us on the learning option for your child(ren) for the 2020-2021 school year. Again, given the changing circumstances, these plans will be fluid but will best meet the health and safety needs of our students, staff and families. We understand that this school year will look different and present challenges, but we will continue to serve our students, staff and families to the best of our ability and provide a high-quality education in the midst of these challenging times. 

Sincerely,

Dan White