WCSD#1 superintendent reflects on COVID school year

WORLAND – School districts across the nation have been tasked with the difficult decision of how to open safely for students and provide a quality education while maintaining social distancing amid an COVID-19international pandemic.

As the school year winds down to a close on Friday, Washakie County School District No. 1 has been one of the few districts across the country that has maintained in-person learning for students throughout the year without having to move back to an online setting as the primary teaching method for all students.

With graduation happening this last weekend and a mask-free week at school, WCSD No. 1 Superintendent David Nicholas said he could feel a sense of relief from the mostly mask-less crowd during commencement Sunday.

“I sensed on Sunday when we had our commencement exercises that people were relieved to sort of have masks lifted,” Nicholas said. “I cannot remember a bigger crowd in Warrior Stadium since I have been here.”

YEAR IN REVIEW

The school year began with a lot of unknown variables, as the district had to come up with a Smart Start plan before they were able to open up for in-person learning last fall. The district had to provide a plan that was in accordance with state health and safety guidelines that were set in place at the time and that would likely work throughout an entire year just months after the district had shut down for the spring.

“I am grateful that our school board hung in there and did a great job leading us,” Nicholas said.

The district worked through different plans last summer, and came to an agreement in order to begin the school year. Nicholas, along with the school board, had approved a reopening plan in early August, but were forced to delay the start of the year at East Side Elementary after COVID-19 positive cases were discovered in staff just before school was set to start.

“We had two positives at East Side with staff and several quarantines, we could not staff kindergarten,” Nicholas said. “We started the year that way and that gave me pause, but they rebounded and got back and off we went.”

After the delayed start to the year at East Side, the district faced a smooth transition into the school year which resulted in little to no cases and quarantines for the month of September. Cases and quarantines began to slowly trickle in before a jump to more than 150 students and staff quarantined in November and about 100 just before winter break. The break allowed the number of cases to drop heading into the spring semester.

How was the district able to push through that surge of COVID-19? “Great teachers being able to keep in touch with students through Canvas along with different applications students were able to access,” Nicholas said.

Despite the outbreak occurring with more than 150 students and staff quarantined, Nicholas said that there were never any considerations for a closure or moving online for multiple weeks. Nicholas continually stated throughout the year that the district would likely only close down if he did not have enough staff to teach the students in the buildings.

“We were never at a point of critical mass where we could not staff it, so we were fortunate,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas said that masks provided more than just physical challenges throughout the year, as he understands the difficulties that were faced by both staff and students to understand each other in a learning environment through masks, as well as learning how to socialize at lunch and in the classroom while maintaining social distancing.

LOOKING FORWARD

Nicholas and the school board have both agreed that on top of the last week of school not requiring masks, that summer school will serve as a good test program to indicate how the district will move forward with masking in the upcoming school year. Masks will not be required during summer school.

Nicholas said that despite masks being removed for this last week, there is still a quarantine order in effect that has not been altered just because of masks being removed.

“The biggest part has always been quarantines for us,” Nicholas said.

Vaccines are also becoming an increasingly important topic as trials continue in youth to determine the efficacy of the vaccines. Nicholas said that one reason he got the vaccine was to help reduce his mandatory quarantine should he be in close contact with a known positive.

Nicholas said that even with all of these trials moving forward for youth, the district will never consider making a vaccine for COVID-19 mandatory for students in the district.

“We respect both sides of that, people have their reasons to get it and not get it,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas said moving forward they will continue to work with local health officials to ensure the safety of students and staff, and follow guidelines to keep schools open.