Despite being closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Alliance Public Schools is working hard to keep students fed, and to develop adapted education plans if the closure is extended.
On Sunday evening, all schools in the Panhandle announced they would close until March 27, after superintendents met with Unified Command to create a plan of action.
At the Alliance School Board meeting on Monday, APS Superintendent Dr. Troy Unzicker described the situation.
“All of the schools in the Panhandle followed suit and closed for two weeks,” said Unzicker. “To be honest with you, I do not expect to be in session in two weeks. I think this will continue. We are preparing, as a staff, to deliver instruction, feed kids. We’re preparing for a long-range plan.”
Unzicker said teachers would be allowed in their rooms as long as social distancing is followed. Custodians will be following specific cleaning guidelines to lower the chances of COVID-19 spreading.
“My intent is to try to keep everyone busy for their normal duty hours,” Unzicker said. “Everybody has a 40-hour week, except paras, who are at 29 hours. I’d like to keep them busy. They could do things like help deliver lunches, whether it’s on site, or it turns into delivery, helping with cleaning, helping with teachers—whatever needs to be done to try to keep them busy. We don’t want 50 paras walking out the door because they’re not working, then in six weeks, turn around and need them back.
“Certified staff are protected, classified staff are not,” said Unzicker. “If we choose not to pay them, we do not have to pay them. I want to protect our classified staff. They work hard for us. They do a great job. I’m going to do all I can do to keep them busy so they earn their money.”
During his report, Unzicker said the situation is always changing, and APS is working to adapt to those changes.
“The Governor (Pete Ricketts) and Commissioner of Education (Matthew Blomstedt) are asking all schools to gear up and make their plans to be closed by Friday,” said Unzicker. “This is an hourly-changing deal. It can change at any time there’s a community transmission, if there’s a second one in Omaha, I think the Governor will step in and shut them down for six to eight weeks.
“Any transmission out in our ESU Region would shut us down for six to eight weeks. I think there’s more turbulent water ahead. For the first time today, the Commissioner of Education said out loud, which I was pleased to hear, that the department would waive hours this year. So, education isn’t going to look anything like what we’re accustomed to. Education is going to happen differently.”
Curriculum Director Rita Moravek reported to the board that all high-stakes testing, including the ACT, has been suspended this year due to the circumstances.
Unzicker said he and the staff at APS is working to feed the students who are out of school. He expects a program to be running next week.
“We’re going to make every attempt to feed kids,” Unzicker said. “We’ve got to feed them before we worry about educating them. Sandi (Morava) has filled out the paperwork to basically do the same thing we do in summer, where any child, birth to 18, can get a meal for free. Right now, it looks like we should have this up and running by Monday. Right now we intend to do grab and go meals on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but we’re going to be allowed to put an extra meal in there so they have food for Monday and Tuesday. We’re still determining how to do that before we put word out.”