DCS parents urged to answer survey to plan for fall classes

Demopolis schools face a daunting challenge as they prepare for fall instruction because of COVID-19. The Board of Education is asking all parents of students in the system to help determine how their children will be educated beginning Aug. 20.

The state Department of Education released recommendations to school systems last week but is leaving the specifics to each one, said Demopolis Supt. Kyle Kallhoff. “Ultimately the decision as to what (school systems are) going to look like is up to the local board,” he said. The state has released  “a great document.” It gives a roadmap of what can and cannot be done so far as wellness, operations and facilities and instruction and technology are concerned.

A panel of 20 employees and parents have been meeting with Kallhoff to develop Demopolis schools’ own roadmap. The draft plan they have come up with remains fluid, and decisions depend on a survey that will go out to all parents beginning July 7. A final plan is expected to go before the DCS board on or before July 20.

Demopolis schools will have instruction either face-to-face on campus or entirely online, Kallhoff said. The school system doesn’t have the personnel to do both. There will be no hybrid form except for specifically identified students, such as those enrolled in special education.

Unlike previous surveys, this one requires parents to identify their children so that schools can determine the exact number of students in each grade. Both online and print versions of the survey will be available. Paper copies can be picked up at schools or at the School Board Office.

“We need to hear from every student,” said Kallhoff. “We need to make sure our staff is prepared.”

The draft plan being finalized now includes several points. The first, of course, is whether instruction will be in class or online. If online, technology is a major factor, making sure every student has access to virtual classes with school-provided tablets or computers.

If on campus, other issues come into play. Parents will not be allowed to drop off students until a certain time to make sure they maintain social distancing as much as possible. Meals will be either grab-and-go or eaten in classrooms. Staggered times to change classes or for dismissal also will be set up.

All possible safety precautions are being written into the plan, and a good portion of the CARES Act funding is being used for safety, said Kallhoff.

What the superintendent regrets is that many best practices that have been followed must be eliminated if students return to school. “We’re going back to the old days,” he said.

Only employees will be allowed on campus, he explained. Parents will not be allowed past the office. Teachers will be at the front of the classroom with desks lined up in rows. Schools will not have field trips.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association plans for both football and volleyball to be played this fall and is setting up its own guidelines to be followed.

“I would not be surprised to see limited capacity” for attendance, said Kallhoff.