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Students collect educational packets at bus stops

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Warren County School District employee Cynthia Thurston hands a continuity of education packet to a parent Tuesday at a stop on driver Buster Godden’s route in North Warren.

A Tuesday morning bus tour kicked off Phase One of the Warren County School District’s continuity of education plan.

The district’s buses made their first runs in weeks – probably also their last runs for weeks.

One driver said he was just happy to be back to work – even if only for the day.

“All the buses made their routes,” Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Eric Mineweaser said. “We had staff on each route assisting with the delivery of the packets.”

The buses carried materials for every student. These are not traditional lessons specific to each student’s schedule. The packets contain review and enrichment materials for each grade level. District officials said the materials will neither be collected nor graded.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Buses delivering continuity of education packets meet Tuesday morning in North Warren.

Not every student and family showed up at the bus stops and some that did didn’t get their information. There were also some timing issues with the buses. “Due to the buses leaving from our five locations and not their normal spots, we did experience some times being off on certain stops,” Mineweaser said.

He estimated that upwards of 65 percent of the packets were delivered to their students on Tuesday.

Those that were not will be available in district buildings in the attendance areas.

Students who attend Warren Area High School, Warren Area Elementary Center, or Beaty-Warren Middle School may pick up materials at the Warren Area High School bus ramp.

Those who attend Sheffield Area Middle High School or Sheffield Area Elementary School may pick up materials at the Sheffield Area Middle High School main entrance.

Those who attend Youngsville Middle High School or Youngsville Elementary School may pick up materials at the Youngsville Elementary School main entrance.

Students who attend Eisenhower Middle High School or Eisenhower Elementary School may pick up materials at one of two locations, depending on where they live. Those who live in Lander or Russell areas may pick up packets at the Warren County School District Central Office. Those from the Sugar Grove and Bear Lake areas may pick up materials at the former Sugar Grove Elementary School.

The materials may be picked up until 4 p.m. weekdays. “We also emailed the principals a PDF of the grade level packets so they can print off a packet for parents and/or email them a copy if that’s more convenient,” Mineweaser said.

The packets are the main thrust of Phase One of the plan.

Superintendent Amy Stewart must create a continuity of education plan. Although she knows that document will have to adjust to these rapidly changing times, the state requires that she post a plan this week.

“Folks are interested in their child’s education. That’s great,” Stewart said. “We have sketches of what Phase One, Two, and Three are going to look like. We know they’re fluid.”

Because a significant percentage of the district’s students do not have high-speed internet at home, the district may not simply continue its classes online.

To help better quantify the situation, officials have asked that students’ families respond to a survey. Surveys could be filled out online, in paper form at the grab-and-go meal sites, and by phone.

“We have entered all the paper responses from the food sites,” Mineweaser said. “Now, principals are making phone calls home to each family that didn’t respond.”

“Parents, please respond to the survey so that the district has a more accurate count,” board president Donna Zariczny said.

At Monday’s meeting, Stewart said she expected the state to announce that it would help rural districts like Warren County’s.

“Some help is on the way” from the state, she said. “They understand that what you’re trying to tackle in the rural areas is different” than areas that are heavily populated and flush with internet service.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced that it would make additional materials and grant dollars available to state school districts to help deliver education during the state-wide schools shutdown mandated by Gov. Tom Wolf.

When schools may reopen is unknown.

At Monday’s meeting, Stewart said, “I’ll be surprised if we end up coming back to school this year. But I don’t know that yet.”

As long as people are cooped up, board members advise making the best of it.

“Spend time with your babies,” board member Elizabeth Huffman said at the close of Monday’s meeting. “Read books. Play games. Love them.”

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