COLUMBUS, Ind. – As the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) School Board prepares to vote this evening, Monday, July 20, on resuming in-person learning on August 6, local teachers are asking for a virtual start to the 2020-2021 school year.
“Our teachers miss their kids terribly,” said Amy London, President of the Columbus Educators Association (CEA). “We wish we could get back to normal, but we can’t ignore facts. Putting students back in classrooms now puts them, their teachers, and their families at risk.”
The announcement was made this weekend as Indiana faces a new surge in cases of COVID-19. Over 56,000 Hoosiers have now tested positive for the virus, with 927 new cases reported on Saturday.
After BCSC administration released a plan for returning to school in person, CEA surveyed its members and 80% of participants said that they would not be comfortable returning under the current plan, which they believe does not offer adequate protection. CEA is asking the board to join the growing list of schools across the state that have decided to start the year with online instruction.
The BCSC School Board meeting is tonight at 6:30, in the administration building, at 1200 Central Ave. Due to large group common area restrictions, only 52 seats will be available to the public. For those that cannot physically attend or cannot be in the room due to capacity limitations, BCSC will also stream the meeting on www.bcscschools.org.
