BCSC schools discuss strategy for fall reopening

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. officials are already in strategy sessions to determine what the opening of schools might look like for the 2020-2021 school year.

Students have nine weeks of summer ahead, with classes scheduled to begin Aug. 6.

The school system needs to prepare for the possibility that some families may not be ready to send their children back to school, said Superintendent Jim Roberts during a strategic planning session livestreamed from the administrative offices.

“E-learning is a piece that, we project, will have to continue,” he said. “As we look at next year, we believe that there will be some kind of model that will be necessary that includes eLearning.”

Because of this, returning students (especially those still receiving critical services over the summer) were allowed to keep their school-issued electronic devices over the summer. The school system did collect internet hotspots it had issued.

“However, in going through that process, we realized that there were very specific students with specific needs that would benefit from having those at home,” Roberts said. “So we’ve been working with those students and providers, the technology department, to make sure that those stay there.”

For more on this story, see Sunday’s Republic.