Gary, Indiana Schools To Start Year On E-Learning Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Breaking from the other school districts in Lake County, Gary will begin the school year on an e-learning platform as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, city officials announced on Wednesday.
Gary Community School Corporation Emergency Manager Dr. Paige McNulty said public opinion has shifted in recent weeks as the number of COVID-19 infections in the county rose to their highest levels since the start of the pandemic.
"After releasing our original plan of giving parents the choice between e-learning and in-classroom instruction, we soon learned that public opinion had drastically changed," said McNulty. "The spike in Coronavirus cases within our school district and across the country along with medical guidance from our local health officials caused us to re-evaluate our plan and implement e-teaching for the time being. We will work with our partners and continue to assess the situation to make necessary adjustments as needed."
According to COVID-19 case data broken out by ZIP code, Gary has recorded 927 infections, or about 15% of the total cases in Lake County.
Surveys of parents, teachers and community members indicate that more than 80% of the respondents are in favor of maintaining an online platform for now, officials said. Last week, all of the Lake County superintendents signed a letter, committing to opening schools in mid August.
Each student in grades K through 12 will receive a Chromebook with internet access. Chromebooks will be distributed to students prior to the start of school on August 12.
Teachers and administrators are being trained to use Google classroom. Food service will still be provided, and virtual open houses will be held before the start of school so that students can meet their teachers.
Hammond's school superintendent told CBS 2 on Tuesday that if the positivity rate continues to hover above 10%, that the town may also switch to e-learning.
Many districts are moving ahead towards opening schools in in-classroom insruction, but are also offering parents an option to choose at-home e-learning for their students.