March 13, 2020 1:00pm

Dear Parent/Guardian,
I’d like to share our current contingency plan for the next three weeks with you in relation to E-Learning, athletics, meals, etc. As stated in previous communications, this plan can change in an instant. We will continue to follow directives from the governor’s office, Ohio Department of Health and the Allen County Health Department. First, we are all in a fluid situation. We have never experienced anything like this before. We all must be patient and flexible in our approach to this time period. It was stated yesterday in Governor DeWine’s speech, according to health experts, that the peak of the number of cases for the COVID-19 virus won’t be until the end of April or mid-May. This may mean more time off than the three weeks stated yesterday. Again, we don’t know. We are approaching this one day at a time, one week at a time.
E-Learning: Our teachers and principals have been preparing for this time to come and have communicated to the students how to access information for every grade level/class. Laptops have been provided for all middle school students in grades 6-8. All high school students already have them. We know that not all our students have access to the internet. In those situations, we will be making accommodations for those students. Wi-Fi access can be found at some local restaurants, the library, on campus here in the
parking lots at school, etc. Again, we know that technology is a great thing if one has access to it, and that it works correctly. We have asked our teachers and principals to over communicate with their expectations in providing a meaningful continuance of learning. State testing, the minimum number of hours required for the school year, state accountability measures for the grade card, etc. will be decided by our state departments later. At present, it is our intention to follow our school calendar as it is scheduled for the remainder of the year, that includes our Easter break, graduation and our last day of school. These will only change if the state mandates.
Athletics: The OHSAA has reported they will be announcing guidance today for spring sports. We will follow their guidance and communicate as we receive.
Access to Campus: As of today, at the time of this release, we are planning on staff to be here next week during their normal work hours. There will not be evening activities in any of the buildings. There will be no access to our buildings after 3:30pm each day. Our community room will be available on a case by case basis. We will communicate to anyone using the community room if there’s an issue.
Meals: We are working with the Ohio Department of Education and the USDA on guidance in relation to meals. We will announce through Ohio Alerts, Twitter and our Facebook page our plan as soon as we get this information. Meals, when provided, will most likely be a grab and go lunch from the elementary building. Again, specifics will be sent out as soon as we receive guidance.

Medications: Our nurses will be in contact with those parents regarding pick up for student medications where applicable.
Finally, I appreciate all the hard work our staff has put in and will continue to put in during this difficult time. If you should have any questions, please reach out to your respective buildings or my office at any time. As things change, which they will, we will communicate through Ohio Alerts and/or our social media pages. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Sincerely,

Rich Dackin Superintendent