The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette
When parents send their sons and daughters to school, the teachers, administrators and staff assume responsibility for the children’s well-being. The relationship works well when school officials openly share information and are held accountable.
Indiana officials allowing schools to opt out of the state’s COVID-19 dashboard undermines that relationship by shrouding the information parents need to monitor their children’s safety. State officials should rethink their stance on voluntary participation.
In the meantime, local school officials can choose to disclose how many students, teachers and staff have tested positive for the corona-virus. Fort Wayne Community Schools, East Allen County Schools and Northwest Allen County Schools have shared their statistics with the Indiana State Department of Health’s website.
“Fort Wayne Community Schools has been communicating with affected staff and families about COVID cases since the spring,” spokeswoman Krista Stockman said in an email. “Our goal has been to provide necessary information to those who need it.”
Stockman added that the dashboard “provides a public platform where case numbers are reported in a consistent format across the state.”
Most schools in Southwest Allen County Schools were among 1,067 statewide that had not shared their confirmed coronavirus case statistics as of Monday, the last time the dashboard was updated. Deer Ridge Elementary was the exception. Officials with the school system couldn’t be reached for comment.” Data was shared by 1,755 public and private schools, including 811 that had no reported cases. New numbers are posted at noon each Monday.
The decision to keep those numbers private isn’t irreversible. Every week offers a new opportunity to share this vital data.
When public and private schools decide to deny the public access to the number of confirmed cases in their buildings, they do a serious disservice to parents and staff.
Families must decide which situations pose too much risk. They might deem a dentist appointment essential but in-person education an unnecessary risk for children who do well with remote learning. Each family’s situation is unique, and what’s considered acceptable one week might seem unthinkable the next.
By being transparent, school officials can also disrupt the rumor mill. When students, teachers and staff miss school — for any reason — people will notice and inevitably spread the news. It’s naïve to believe otherwise. Every absence is bound to be blamed on the coronavirus — regardless of the actual circumstances. When accurate information isn’t shared, imaginations can run wild.
School officials shouldn’t interfere with parents’ ability to make decisions based on accurate data. Teachers and other school staff deserve the same access to information. More school officials should see the state’s coronavirus dashboard as the important communication tool it is.
In a public health emergency, it is reasonable for the state to require public and private schools to share information about COVID-19 cases. Families will make the best decisions when armed with the most complete information.
