Clintonville schools return to in-person learning

The Clintonville School Board has reaffirmed a decision it made earlier in the month putting its elementary school students back in the classroom for four days a week and its middle and high school students two days, even as those in the community say that’s not enough.

Students at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School went back to school on Nov. 16, and students at Clintonville Middle School and Clintonville High School will return to their classrooms after the Thanksgiving break.

Superintendent David Dyb said the board voted on its reentry plan Nov. 9, but had the caveat that it would revisit the decision at its Nov. 23 meeting.

“Up until this week, the county (Waupaca) was still considered a hotspot,” Dyb said in a phone interview on Nov. 24. “The thing is that we can handle the student cases, so to speak. Our biggest thing is, do we have enough staff to be able to offer in-person instruction. That’s what the board wanted to make sure of last night.”

The ongoing struggle for the district, according to Dyb, is finding substitute teachers when one of the regular teachers tests positive or has to go into quarantine. That factored into why the school district went to virtual learning in October.

“They can teach virtually from home if they’re not ill, so to speak, but they can’t be in school if they have to self-quarantine,” Dyb said. “We have to make sure we have enough staffing to provide in-person instruction.”

However, parents, students and community members filled up the meeting hall at the Nov. 23 board meeting to express frustration at how the virtual learning has gone so far and urge the board to open all of the schools full time to prevent students from getting further behind in their studies.

Gary Hagberg had three children went through Clintonville schools, but his grandchildren are going to St. Martin Lutheran School. Even so, he still pays taxes for the Clintonville public schools, and he expects the money to be used to educate students in person.

“St. Martin’s has had the good sense to have children in school,” Hagberg said. “They’ve had their children in school, with a couple of weeks off. Good news — nobody’s dead. Everybody’s fine.”

Hagberg added that he respects most of the teachers, and he was not issuing an “indictment” against what they’ve done, but he would like for them to stand where he’s standing and tell the school board to let them get back into the classroom. Hagberg wants the school district to stop treating COVID-19 like “the Black Plague.”

“This education they’re getting on the internet is garbage,” Hagberg said, getting several other audience members to respond with “Amen.” “We have a generation of young people that is more sedentary than any before them. That’s a nice way of saying they want to sit around and do nothing.”

Jennifer Willis, parent of a sixth-grade son in middle school, said he came to her in tears because he is failing his core classes. Willis said she only hears from one teacher regarding missing assignments, doesn’t know how to help him.

“I’m watching all of my kids get depressed because they’re struggling,” Willis said. “They’re not seeing their friends. They’re not doing well in school. They don’t feel like they’re learning.”

Isaac Schultz, student at Clintonville High School, echoed that sentiment. He thinks the high school should go back to at least four days a week of in-person attendance and claims his and others’ mental health suffering as a result.

“The mental health among, not just me, but other students has declined dramatically,” Schultz said. “We’re sitting in our rooms, sitting at tables in settings meant for family time. We’re trapped in our homes and forced to do school work when we’re supposed to do school work inside a school.”

Schultz said he and others see a lack of leadership among the seven members of the school board. He noted that the community looks to the board to lead school district “to success, not to crap,” and he expressed worry about how high school students will be able to succeed with current environment when it comes time to go to college or go out into the workforce.

“How are we going to raise a family of our own?” Schultz said. “I don’t want my future — or my classmates’ future — jeopardized by the lack of leadership in your decisions.”

Jessie King, administrative assistant at Rexford-Longfellow, noted that she has son at CHS, and her husband teaches at CMS. She said she sees first-hand the efforts staff are putting in to adapt to the environment, noting that the staff is aware that it’s better to teach students in person.

“There are many assumptions being made in regards to reasons certain staff have had to quarantine,” King said. “Sadly, assumptions and misinformation continue to serve as gasoline on a flame.”

King said she had 22 substitute teachers on the call list for her school at the beginning of the year. She had to take five off because they didn’t feel comfortable teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. Others are long-term subbing, only teaching at the high school and an assortment of other reasons. Five did not return her calls, she said, so she is recommending the district put out a call seeking more subs.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com