Northeast Ohio legislators, superintendents talk about 2020-21 school year in Case Western forum

Next school year will look different for every district across the state, but a handful of northeast Ohio legislators and superintendents hoped to answer some overarching questions during a forum earlier this week. Case Western Reserve University and League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland hosted the webinar, moderated by former Plain Dealer education reporter Patrick O'Donnell. State Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, fielded questions alongside Rep. Michael Skindell, D-Lakewood, and superintendents from Parma and Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. Parma and Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools are taking different approaches to the upcoming school year — now just weeks away. Parma is looking toward a hybrid model for its students by splitting them into cohorts based on last name, whereas Cleveland Heights-University Heights is having students in-person two days a week. It is also offering two different online models — one administered through the Cuyahoga County Educational Service Center, and another "home-grown" one taught by its own students. Parma is also offering a "home-grown" online-only model. Parma Superintendent Charles Smialek said his district has spent more than $970,000 in measures to prepare for in-person classes, from buying reusable masks for students, disposable masks in bulk and plexiglass for high-traffic office areas in each building. Clorox-360 foggers will be used to sanitize classrooms and buses between each use. For both districts — and many throughout the state — funding is a key issue, regardless of an ongoing pandemic. At the end of Fiscal Year 2020, Gov. Mike DeWine "did a little trim" on each district's funds, O'Donnell said, asking Manning and Skindell what they felt was in store for districts this coming fiscal year. Cleveland Heights-University Heights Superintendent Liz Kirby said her district lost more than $5 million in unanticipated funds due to EdChoice vouchers, and the CARES funding it received hasn't been enough to sure up its budget. Manning said there is a rainy day fund, and CARES act money to be allocated. He said it's hard to predict what will happen, especially in terms of the state's finances, but that everyone's goal is to keep "districts whole." If budget cuts need to happen after another potential federal relief act is passed, everything could be on the table in terms of cuts to make the state budget work, Manning confirmed. Standardized testing came up several times in the discussion, revolving around the third-grade reading guarantee and state-issued report cards for districts. Manning, along with Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, are introducing a bill that would suspend standardized testing for the 2020-21 school year, similar to what happened in the spring. Alongside legislators' and superintendents' discussions, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's hospital released its own reopening schools paybook. It noted there are "no easy answers," but that educators should talk to students about COVID-19 — breaking down the issue for different age groups. For young children, adults can reinforce wearing a mask is good and helps keep friends and family safe. For those in elementary school, it suggests projects to help students get more comfortable with masks — like making an art project out of decorating them — and monitoring for unusual behaviors like difficulty separating from parents, aggression or acting younger than their age, all of which could be signs of stress. Exposure to media should be monitored. For middle and high schoolers, it suggests keeping them involved in personal projects like videos, artwork or written works about supporting one another during the pandemic. Returning to in-person classes means masks should be on in school and temperatures should be checked before children go to school. "COVID-19 spreads when people are together, as they are in schools," said Dr. Joan Zoltanski, who is leading the restart effort at UH. "By applying the basic precautions listed in the playbook, schools can help reduce the risk to teachers, students, staff and their families if they choose to reopen in-person education." The full webinar is available on the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland Facebook page. Contact Carissa Woytach at 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.