By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Aug. 6, 2020) Gov. Larry Hogan issued an amended emergency order on Monday to ensure that local schools retain the primary authority to evaluate when to reopen their facilities for in-person instruction with guidance from CDC and the state.

“To be clear, Maryland’s recovery continues to be based on a flexible, community-based approach that follows science, not politics,” Hogan said in a statement after signing the amended order. “As long as schools develop safe and detailed plans that follow CDC and state guidelines, they should be empowered to do what’s best for their community.”

The Worcester County Public School system will begin its year with distance learning, or Stage One, of its “Responsible Return” model, Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor announced at an afternoon press conference on July 30 at the board of education offices in Newark.

Lou Taylor

“We recognize the significant challenges that distance learning poses for many of our students’ academic and social emotional development, which is why we intend to re-evaluate conditions every two weeks,” he said. “As those conditions allow, we hope to move into Stage Two by Monday, Sept. 28, which will welcome back into our buildings small groups of identified students for face-to-face instruction.”

In what appeared to be a show of support for the decision, also present at the conference were board of education members, the county commissioners, representatives of the county health department, the Worcester County Teachers Association and the Worcester County Educational Support Personnel Association.

Taylor thanked these organizations for their partnership and guidance in the “Responsible Return” model and the decision to return to school on Sept. 8 with virtual instruction.

The school system also received feedback from more than 2,200 people about the four-stage “Responsible Return” model in one day through surveys, according to a Facebook post.

The model calls for — Stage One: distance learning; Stage Two: hybrid learning with a tiered support model; Stage Three: hybrid learning with an alternating week model and Stage Four: face-to-face learning.

In the second stage, students who require school-based Tier 2 and Tier 3 support will be targeted to receive face-to-face instruction.

Currently, the schools have been bringing small groups of students to the classrooms for summer academy programs. Stage Two will build on this structure. In compliance with Gov. Larry Hogan’s orders, there will be a 15-person limited occupancy in each room.

The school system hopes to begin the second stage in early or mid-September.

Stage Three will aim to bring back as many students as possible to in-person instruction on an alternating weekly schedule.

When in the classroom, according to the model, students should have assigned seating, and schools should develop plans to enforce social distancing guidelines.

Lastly, Stage Four would involve all students returning to in-person instruction with new safety requirements.

“We have received an enormous amount of input from our families, faculty, and staff,” Taylor said, referring to the thousands of survey responses, emails and messages school officials have received over the last several weeks. “I am confident that today’s decision is the right one for our community.”

Taylor also announced that families could choose to keep their children in distance-learning when students are able to return to the classroom.

“We recognize the fear that many families have at this tenuous time, so to ease those fears, Worcester County Public Schools will continue to offer a choice of distance-learning for any families that do not wish to physically send their child back to school,” Taylor said. “Parents will be able to exercise this option as schools reach out to invite their child back to the classroom.”

The decision to go slow places Worcester’s public schools in line with more than 75 percent of the state’s 24 school districts, which will begin the year with online learning.  That list includes Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Carroll, Prince George’s, Somerset, Dorchester, and Wicomico counties.

Local school districts have until Aug. 14 to submit their 2020 reopening plans to the state.

After many school districts in the state decided to begin the academic year with virtual learning, The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association announced on Monday that it would postpone the 2020 high school fall and winter competition season during the first semester.

A hybrid two-semester plan is being finalized, which will focus on modified competition seasons for all sports during the second semester. More details about the hybrid plan will be announced before the beginning of the school year.

Worcester Preparatory School on South Main Street in Berlin is expected to begin with in-person instruction and a modified athletic program with the assistance of the Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference.

“Worcester Preparatory School is planning for students to return to campus on September 1. They will follow a traditional schedule that incorporates protocols for social and physical distancing, sanitization and the use of PPEs,” said John McDonald, Jr., who became the Head of School last month. “Classrooms have been measured and set up so that desks are at least six feet apart and each desk contains a personal space desk divider, which were donated by our Parent Association.  The Parent Association is also providing six-foot plexiglass barriers for all of our teachers.  Our students and staff will be required to wear masks.  In addition, a generous Trustee has donated air scrubbers for every classroom, and we have also implemented a thorough plan for cleaning and sanitizing at the end of the day.”

John McDonald, Jr.

McDonald added that the school’s task force is also making plans for virtual learning to implement in the future if necessary.

Seaside Christian Academy, located at 12637A Ocean Gateway in Ocean City, is also planning to return to campus full-time for all students on Sept. 8. According to its recovery plan, the school is preparing to reopen in either Phase 2 or Phase 3.

If Maryland remains in Phase 2 by the start date, Seaside Christian Academy will offer on-campus instruction with enhanced sanitation procedures, modified chapel services to limit large gatherings, temperature and health screenings and limits on visitors entering the building. In addition, students must bring masks to school to wear if needed.

If the state enters Phase 3 by Sept. 8, then the school will offer on-campus instruction and maintain enhance sanitation. Chapel services will proceed as normal, masks will be optional and health screenings will be conducted at home. Additional safety measures will be taken as necessary.

Social distancing will be practiced when feasible for grades K-12 in classrooms and hallways, but not at recess. However, in Phase 2, the recess schedule will permit one class on the playground at a time.

At this time, Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School will begin the school year on Sept. 8 with in-person instruction five days a week and accommodations to ensure the safety of students, teachers, staff and families, said Amanda Evans, director of Admissions and Advancement.

“Students in each classroom will be seated six feet apart,” Evans said. “The occupancy of each classroom has been changed to reflect the new spacing. Everyone in our school will be required to wear fitted masks indoors while traveling through the hallways and in situations where social distancing is not achievable. Grades 3-8 will wear their mask indoors at all times, other than while eating. Our teachers will wear shields while instructing of allow for better communication with students.”

She added that an enhanced sanitation process will be implemented as well as better hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing and more time spent outdoors.

“New sensor operated hand sanitizer stations are being installed throughout our school,” Evans said. “All of our air filters meet the appropriate standards and windows will be opened to increase air flow throughout the building. Students will come into the school at the entrance closest to their pod to eliminate any potential overcrowding and will remain with their homerooms throughout the day … Markers are being installed on our floors and outside to give our community a visual display of proper social distancing.”

The school on Racetrack Road in Berlin is also limiting enrollment to under 200 students to allow for new capacity restrictions in classrooms.

Currently, a decision has not been made regarding fall and winter athletics programs.