By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A lot of questions remain since Missouri Gov. Mike Parson ordered all school buildings to remain closed for the remainder of the school year, forcing all state public school districts to extend online learning.
St. Joseph School Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says the district might have summer school this year, but it won’t look like summer schools of the past.
St. Joseph school buildings are closed for the remainder of the year in accordance with the order from the governor. Online learning will take place through the end of the school year, May 15th.
Van Zyl says the district is getting guidance on summer school from state officials.
“I don’t believe there’ll be summer school as there’s been in years past in that exact same format, because similar to what you’re hearing people say, that’s a large group gathering,” Van Zyl tells those watching the virtual town hall hosted by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and Community Alliance. “How are to you going to bring those students into a facility if we haven’t been given the all clear in other areas?”
Van Zyl says the state is considering extending online learning through the summer.
Van Zyl says learning continues at all grade levels, even if not in the school buildings. So, the district will not have to make up any of the school days which have been moved off campus.
“We are not going to be required to make up anything as long as we meet the guidelines from the state and the waivers that they’ve put out, which to date we have, by offering the food service to our students, by making sure that we’re going to school and offering online learning until May 15th, we will not be required to make up any of the days or times that’s being missed right now,” according to Van Zyl.
Van Zyl says graduation remains a big question. He says the district has not settled on a plan, though a virtual graduation is a possibility.
“Whether that’s students take pictures of themselves, send it in and then we do a little bio, couple of questions about each of them and then do some type of virtual display,” Van Zyl says. “We want to do some type of recognition for all of our students, because it is a great honor and a privilege.”
Van Zyl says several media outlets have reached out to the district about the possibility of broadcasting some sort of virtual graduation.
He says Jostens recently handed out caps and gowns to Central High School graduates who are facing the very real possibility of graduating high school without any ceremony.