Back to school 2020 is more than new pencils, crayons, and notebooks. This year, kids need face masks or shields along with hand sanitizer. Teachers need thermometers and personal protective equipment.
Bridge City ISD Superintendent Todd Lintzen is overseeing the first public school district in Southeast Texas to start a new school year in the time of the pandemic. Students went to their new classes on Monday.
He is pleased that 85 percent of the students enrolled in the district are attending in person. “We feel that it’s best for them to learn in here with a teacher,” he said.
Lintzen talked Thursday during “People in the Know” with Gary Stelly on KOGT Radio’s The Morning Show.
Students last attended classes in March. The governor eventually canceled all in-person school classes for the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Students, teachers, and parents worked online.
“It was unprecedented in education,” Lintzen said.
He said Bridge City started early this year because Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath recommended the schedule. The commissioner held many Zoom online meetings with superintendents across the state about long breaks in December with early dates to start classes.
Lintzen said the early start schedules allow a district flexibility to make up days that may be missed if there is an outbreak of Covid 19 or seasonal flu.
The Orangefield ISD starts classes on Monday, August 10. West Orange-Cove and Vidor start Wednesday, August 12. First day for Little Cypress-Mauriceville and Deweyville is Monday, August 17.
Lintzen said planning for the year has been trying at times. Sometimes rules or suggestions change within the same day. “You have to be very flexible,” he said.
Lintzen and the district staff worked like military leaders assigning and planning for classes, lunch periods, bus transportation, and football games. He said charts have been made for where every student and teacher is during the day, including seating and travel. That way, if someone gets the novel coronavirus, their contacts can be easily traced and quarantined, if necessary.
The district in the spring began buying things like thermometers, PPE, and sanitizers. Lintzen said the additional supplies are coming from the school district’s budget expenses.
More buses are needed because students must be separated. He said the district has a difficult time finding people to be bus drivers in a normal time. Now, more are needed. “Everybody has had challenges,” he said.
A school bus driver must have a commercial driver’s license.
Football season is has been scheduled, but the season will be different. Lintzen said all the schools within Bridge City’s UIL competition district agreed to have bands, drill teams, and flag bearers only at home games.
Transporting the dozens of students who participate in those activities to out-of-town games would require double the buses and drivers.
Games will be different, too. Stadium capacity will be at 50 percent so fans in the stands can keep space between each other or between families. Lintzen said the district is trying to let the families of the band, drill team, flag bearers, cheerleaders, and team get first priority for the games.
The Bridge City stadium using proper spacing has room for 1,500, he said. All tickets, for home and out-of-town, must be bought in advance.
The district is preaching to students, staff, and parents, “If you feel ill, or have any symptoms, have at-home learning.” Lintzen said the at-home learning plans and the availability of having teachers online during classes lets students easily stay home.
“We want our students safe and we want our staff safe,” he said.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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