Ringgold delays start of school year

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Ringgold students are looking at a delay to the start of their 2020-21 school year.
During Wednesday’s virtual school board meeting, directors voted unanimously to approve the school calendar, which includes not starting classes until September.
All members of the school board were present at the meeting.
According to district Acting Superintendent Randall Skrinjorich, the first day of classes for students is scheduled for Sept. 1.
Skrinjorich said district staff is scheduled to return Aug. 25. They will undergo four days of professional development and one clerical day.
The move to delay students’ return to classes comes on the heels of the district releasing a district-wide survey earlier this month that saw 74% of 2,355 respondents say they wanted an Aug. 24 return date.
“This has been a total team effort,” Skrinjorich said. “We will be ready for students regardless of changes that may come our way.”
According to Skrinjorich, the delay to have students return to classes stems from ever-changing restrictions and orders from both the Pennsylvania Departnent of Health and Gov. Tom Wolf.
“Transportation continues to work on bus schedules and sanitation,” Skrinjorich said. “We’re working on school exit and entry procedures.”
While classes are set to resume Sept. 1, whether students will be in brick-and-mortar classrooms, at home learning virtually, or a combination of the two still remains to be seen.
The district has released three options for students in the 2020-2021 school year:
• Return to school in a traditional manner of five days per week with mitigation, allowing flexibility and online options for those who may still have concerns about return to traditional schooling. Skrinjorich said this option includes measuring classrooms for social distancing, sanitation of classrooms and purchasing personal protection equipment for staff.
“Some parents have expressed they would not be comfortable,” Skrinjorich said of this option.
• Return of all K-6 students five days per week, with extended social distancing in classrooms while using the high school to provide a hybrid schedule for 7-12 grade students, consisting of using the high school on two days, followed by a day of cleaning, and then the middle school on two days, followed by weekend cleaning.
“This method would not be like the pandemic learning from last year,” Skrinjorich said.
According to Skrinjorich, this option gives online students the ability to participate in after-school activities and athletics.
• Return of all students to a Cyber Academy online instruction, but with increased instruction daily for students.
“This option is for students who do not wish to attend classes but still want to keep in contact with peers and teachers,” Skrinjorich said.
“While this is much to take in, Ringgold has an option for you,” Skrinjorich said.
The 2020-2021 school year calendar is posted on the district’s website.