School moving forward with in-person instruction

The Hill City School District has spelled out how it plans to proceed with instruction in the fall.

The district plans to have in-person instruction as conditions permit, said Blake Gardner, Hill City School District superintendent, in a video sent to district stakeholders July 9.

The situation as of this point is fluid, Gardner said, and the district is prepared to go back to distance learning if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens and there are multiple cases within the school.

The district will have three phases when it comes to COVID-19 cases and instruction. Phase one is when there are no cases in the building. During phase one, students and staff will wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and sick children are not to attend school. Masks will be recommended, but not required. Education will be normal with minimal accommodations.

Phase two is when there are isolated cases within the district. The South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) will contact Gardner regarding any cases within the district and will assess. The district will notify families of COVID-19 cases, but privacy will be protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The school will limit exposure with others. Exposure is defined as “within six feet of another person for 15 minutes or more.” School will remain in session, but with greater social distancing and more accommodations. This may include lunch in rooms, no specials (gym, band, choir) and staggered bells.

During phase three, the DOH will work with the school to create an action plan. The district will implement distance learning for 14 days or until the DOH directs school to return.

In March, Gov. Kristi Noem ordered schools to be closed for a week to allow for deep cleaning. That one-week closure was eventually turned into distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

“It’s important to reflect back on how we did with our distance learning,” Gardner said.

A survey was sent to stakeholders within the district and Gardner reported that 75 percent of those who responded to the survey said the schools assigned the perfect amount of work. In addition to that, 91 percent of the stakeholders said the communication the school provided during the outbreak was good or proficient (45 percent said it was excellent and 46 percent said it was proficient).

“I’m aware of organizations that had a lot of infighting and arguing and were ripped apart at the seams,” Gardner said. “We were the opposite. If anything, this brought us closer together. That’s another reason why I love this school and I love this community.”

Gardner cited a study by the Association of American Pediatrics that recommended a return to school as a large reason why school will return this fall.

The study by the Association of American Pediatrics found that school-aged children are not transmitters and are very unlikely to receive COVID-19.

Gardner, too, said the district received a letter from a representative with Black Hills Pediatrics that urged schools to return in the fall and, citing a study done by the Wisconsin Mental Health Counselors, not being in school has a large negative impact on students.

“For me, I personally believe school is the best place for kids,” Gardner said.

It is important to be objective, he added, and looking at state and local data, if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in Hill City Gardner said he’s not “foolish” and school should not be held.

The district will rely on information from the DOH, which provides “good graphs and metrics” to help the district make informed decisions on returning to school.

“I was encouraged that over 93 percent of our respondents (to the survey) said they were OK with sending their kids back to school for face-to-face education Aug. 19,” Gardner said.

Citing the district survey, Gardner said 60 percent of respondents said they would feel comfortable sending their kids on the school bus. After talking with Harlow (who runs the district’s bus program), Gardner said the company will wipe down all the seats on the bus before and after both the morning and afternoon routes.

The drivers, too, will wear gloves, masks and “whatever other personal protective equipment that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

And, with fall sports about a month away from starting, Gardner said 86 percent of responders to the district survey felt they would be comfortable with their kids participating in fall sports.

As to whether responders felt comfortable sending their kids to school again, Gardner said 62 percent had concerns, 31 percent said they weren’t concerned at all and eight percent said they were very concerned and did not want the school year starting with in-person instruction.

When it comes to whether or not students should wear masks, 71 percent said masks should be optional.

Gardner said working with the state DOH and the South Dakota Department of Education has been “encouraging,” and both organizations have offered the district “wonderful guidance.”

It is encouraging to know those two entities will be there to assist the district as it navigates the COVID-19 waters, he added.

Gardner reiterated that the situation is very fluid and subject to change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been humbling for Gardner, he said, because he does not have all the answers. But he said his door is open and he’s willing to take ideas and talk with people about the district’s plan.

 Gardner, too, thanked the community for being on the same team with the same goal: the best education for Hill City students, and he will remain in contact with the community with any upcoming changes.

“From day one, we were saying we take this very seriously but not hysterically,” Gardner said.