Davis Middle School to resume in-person classes

Home City News Davis Middle School to resume in-person classes
Davis Middle School to resume in-person classes
Davis Middle School prepares for it’s students to return. Kalli Dalrymple | Collegian

Davis Middle School students will return to in-person classes on Oct. 29 after going online two weeks ago because of positive cases of COVID-19 in the school community.

“The district took this action in response to positive test results of ‘School Associated Cases,” Superintendent Shawn Vondra said. “This means a case of probable or confirmed COVID-19 amongst students, teachers, staff members, coaches, volunteers, or any other person that was present on school property.”

Vondra said that the manner in which the cases were appearing was concerning to the school district. 

“The spacing between positive cases demonstrated that transmission with student populations was occurring,” Vondra said.

“The school determined that implementing a pause with in-person learning at the middle school was a prudent and appropriate course of action,” Vondra said. “There is not a certain/specific number of cases that require such a response. Conditions matter, and multiple factors are incorporated into the decision making process.”

Families within the Hillsdale County School District were sent an email on Oct. 14 notifying them that their students would have to continue classes from home until Oct. 28.

Vondra’s message to families said, “Teachers will implement the Distance Learning Program where students will participate in learning through virtual lessons at home.” 

Patrick Flannery, vice president for finance and treasurer at Hillsdale College, has a daughter who attends Davis Middle School. 

“The closure in the spring helped prepare our family to handle the shutdown,” Flannery said. “The school did an excellent job preparing for a possible move to remote learning.” 

Flannery also noted how the consistent involvement and availability of school district leaders has improved the outcomes of the middle school’s closure. 

“Our district has been very transparent. I have been able to speak with the superintendent about this shutdown. Having access to the leadership of the schools is very helpful,” Flannery said. 

Aaron Petersen, Dean of Men at Hillsdale College, echoed Flannery’s praise of the school and district staff in helping make this transition as seamless as possible. 

“The district is doing a good job managing through all the different factors. The teachers have been excellent and accessible, which makes the transition and continuity strong,” Petersen said. 

Petersen said the majority of families and those affected seem to understand and support the decisions of the school district, despite the frustrations and inconveniences that come with this situation. 

Flannery said he believes schools need to have more adequate staffing in order to prevent future closures. With more substitute teachers and staff, the district would have the resources to maintain in-person classes if teachers needed to go into isolation or quarantine, which would preserve the benefits of in person learning.   

“If we, as a community, believe in person teaching is the best way for our children to learn we need to step up and volunteer to be substitute teachers,” Flannery said. “My wife is filling out her application. I encourage others to do so too.”