This isn’t the way it was supposed to end: Classrooms emptied by mid-March, so many celebrations yet to be had.

Last week, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that schools would not be physically back in session for the rest of the academic year, as COVID-19 continues to spread. Districts are to continue delivering instruction in the ways they are able.

For Brown County students, that means eLearning and/or paper packets will be used starting April 13, the Monday after Easter. Assignments will be sent for the weeks of April 13, April 20, April 27 and May 4, and then the school year will end on May 8.

Instead of the normal 180-day school year requirement, districts are allowed to complete 160 days in school or to have 20 days of remote learning from April 2 on. BCS is choosing the 20-day option.

“We have hearts broken across the state, across the senior class,” Superintendent Laura Hammack told parents on Facebook Live the evening the announcement was made. “We have hearts broken for students who would have had their spring sports season or their band programs or their senior concerts. There’s just so many moments in this spring season that are magical and memorable.

“But like I said earlier, we’re going to try to do the very best that we can to heal those broken hearts and make sure that there are occasions to celebrate these seniors in ways we’ve never seen before.”

Learning plan

This week, parents are to reach out to their principals if their home is in need of a computer with which to access eLearning assignments, or if students need something from their lockers or desks — like their Chromebook or books — to do their work.

Even though elementary and intermediate students do not take Chromebooks home, they will be made available to families who do not have access to devices already.

Students in Grades K-4 “will most often have no-tech/packet instructional delivery,” Hammack told families.

Principals and teachers were reaching out to families as well to explain procedures.

Students will get a week’s worth of assignments on Mondays, Hammack said. These will not be full days of work; the workload will be stepped according to the student’s age: two hours per day for the high school, an hour and 15 minutes for the junior high, an hour for the intermediate school, 45 minutes for Grades 3 and 4, and 30 minutes for Grades K to 2. Preschool work will be optional.

Assignments will be due the Monday after they are given.

All schools and the Career Resource Center of Brown County now have free public WiFi available in their parking lots, which students and anyone else can use from their vehicles. Bryan Gabriel of Mainstream Fiber installed that infrastructure last week.

The school district also has 20 Verizon MiFi hotspots that students can use in their homes. Hammack wrote in an email to parents Tuesday morning: “We will share more information soon regarding distribution of these devices. Devices will be prioritized for use for families of BCHS students with no internet, transportation issues, free and reduced lunch eligible, AND have access to Verizon service in the home. BCHS is prioritized because credit attainment matters for graduation.”

About seniors

Members of the Class of 2020 will get “a good amount of flexibility for graduation eligibility,” Hammack said.

Seniors who were enrolled in a class required for graduation will earn credit for that class.

However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t have any assignments during eLearning, Hammack said, acknowledging a “disconnect” that needed to be cleared up. “There’s a lot of great information that seniors would be learning between now and the end of the school year … foundational principles that our students need to be successful in life. I do believe there’s value there, and it’s not just getting a grade, but the course content,” she said. She promised more information soon.

For seniors who need more classes to graduate, “we’ll make sure that gets done,” she said.

Graduation exams for those who have not yet passed them have been waived.

Prom and graduation will not happen as originally planned, but Hammack promised alternatives.

“We don’t know what these events will look like, but we are absolutely, positively committed to making sure that this senior class experiences all these events, but on some sort of innovative platform — or as we learn more, maybe it will be later this summer as we better understand this virus and all of the nuances of what is happening here,” she said.

Hammack announced in an April 6 chat that a task force is being assembled of students, senior parents, school staff and administrators to come up with a plan to recognize seniors. More information will be sent to senior parents.

Other questions

Hammack answered additional questions via Facebook Live last week, and will continue meeting parents for those chats on her Brown County Schools — Superintendent Facebook page on Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

Some of the questions so far have been:

What will happen to the things students left at school?

Principals will organize schedules that allow students to collect personal items, Hammack said. When that will happen isn’t certain yet.

Will there be summer school for Grades K-8 or high-schoolers?

“This is a moving situation,” Hammack said. “… If there was to be a summer school option, I would imagine online would absolutely be available, but I don’t know if I can speak to what it might look like.”

Will school employee pay end on May 8?

Staff who would traditionally work a 260-day schedule, like certified staff, will be paid through the end of the school year like they would normally. For paraprofessionals and others who might not work that schedule, more information will be coming.

Can a meeting be set up with a school counselor to check on where seniors are credit-wise?

Yes, Hammack said.

How will special education students be supported?

Special educators will host virtual office hours just like general education teachers will, and those will be times they can help students and parents, Hammack said.

She said the district has found ways for “excellent, equitable content delivery” for special education students to “be able to meet children no matter where they are presenting.

“We believe all students are able and all students are learners, and it’s just the way in which they access content that might be different.

“I’m a former special educator,” she added. “Equity and access for all is the priority.”