Last week, Franklin schools delayed its reopening by 12 days to Aug. 17, the latest start date in the county.
Rising cases, a survey of faculty and staff members, and a decision by Gov. Eric Holcomb to pause the state’s reopening plans led to that decision.
The reasons for the delay were pored over Wednesday during a virtual school board meeting that more than 70 people attended. The primary reason was the school board’s anticipation when it finalized reopening plans in June that the state would move to the fifth and final stage of its reopening plan by the time school was scheduled to start Aug. 5, said David Clendening, superintendent.
“When we wrote the plans, we thought we would be at Level 5,” Clendening said. “My decision was to protect staff and students in making sure the plans were robust.”
Franklin schools won’t wait until the state reaches Phase 5 to reopen, but will make sure the school is ready to open in its current phase, including requiring students to wear masks in areas where they cannot socially distance, such as in hallways and on school buses, and using a sanitation fog to cover and clean indoor surfaces before students come to school, he said.
Another factor that led to the delay was a survey sent to faculty and staff that determined 70% were uncomfortable returning to school due to fears of contracting COVID-19, Clendening said.
“It’s common sense to clean the building, but if a clean building was the only issue, why would we have 70% having concerns,” Clendening said. “That’s why that was just one of the benchmarks for us. We need to show that it’s beyond just normal cleaning. For parents, teachers and administrators, I want people to know that there are five factors: COVID data, mask policies, following the rules, fresh air and cleanliness of the building.”
As is the case with other local schools, such as Clark-Pleasant and Center Grove, Franklin schools said it would require students to wear masks before Holcomb announced the statewide mandate.
Another two factors, which also caused Center Grove schools to delay its reopening, were the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Indiana, and the number of students opting to learn virtually, Clendening said.
“Now the number of kids in virtual learning is at 16%,” Clendening said. “Mom and dad will do what they feel is best, but we will make a plan for virtual kids and kids who come to school.”
Franklin school officials plan to present further additions to its plans at a meeting Thursday, he said.
Although there isn’t a plan for teachers who are immunocompromised to stay home and teach virtually, they may be able to take advantage of the Family Medical Leave Act, which gives them 12 weeks of paid protection if they choose to stay home, Clendening said.
Beyond those 12 weeks, school leaders will look for ways to assist teachers and other faculty members who have concerns about returning to school, he said.
