ECASD Board Passes Health and Safety Plan, Approves Start of Fall Sports

Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors passed a Health and Safety plan Monday night in anticipation of the return to school.

The details in the plan were not made available to the public, but Interim Superintendent Wes Shipley said the plan will be posted to the district’s website today. (Read the plan posted on Tuesday here.)

Board members wanted clarification in the plan to state that “team” teaching would be the method during in person classroom teaching. The team teaching option was a board compromise after some directors favored self-contained teaching over team teaching. Self-contained teaching, according to Shipley, would force teachers to teach all subjects. He said that would leave a teacher who has been an expert in math to teach language arts or vice versa.

Directors Jennifer Tomon and Erica Gray said they believe the methods of classroom instruction should be more of an administrative decision than a board decision. Gray said she was concerned that with the start of school being so near, the teachers would not have enough time to prepare a new curriculum.

The board also voted unanimously to move forward with the fall sports season while adhering to state and CDC guidelines, but this season will look a little different than past seasons.

“Unfortunately, there will be no fans in the seats,” Shipley said.

Although the state mandate does allow enough participants for the band and cheerleaders to attend outside sporting events, Shipley said, it does not allow enough for spectators and parents to attend.

Questions from visitors centered on the optional back to school plans. (View the back to school plan options here.) Rather than answering questions during the board meeting, Shipley encouraged any families with questions regarding their particular student’s plan should contact the principal from the building in which their child attends. Shipley said that will allow any issues to be resolved on a case-by-case, individualized basis. (View the District Reopening Plan Q&A here.)