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Districts evaluating state plan to reopen Ohio schools

A draft of a plan to reopen Ohio's schools lays out four main considerations districts should take into account.

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — As we approach the end of this school year, districts in northwest Ohio have no choice but to look ahead to next year.

Will students return to brick-and-mortar schools? How will schools handle any potential coronavirus outbreaks if they arise?

One local superintendent says the path forward should be paved with great caution.

A draft of new guidelines from the Ohio Department of Education (below) sheds insight on what school could look like this fall.

The 11-page draft — called the Reset & Restart-Education Planning Guide —lays out four main considerations the state is taking into account: physical health and safety; educational challenges; social and emotional health; and operational concerns.

RELATED: Toledo Public Schools looking at all options to return in the fall

RELATED: How could going back to school look in the fall? Ohio State Board of Education offers clues

Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Tom Hosler told parents in a Friday letter, "We appreciate seeing ODE's guidelines and will use them as we plan for a safe return to school. Students need to be back in school for a variety of reasons."

Hosler also said he appreciated the plan's acknowledgment that the answer isn't one-size-fits-all.

"I think as we begin to consider and get our head around these restrictions, I think it's important to pay attention to the language that's being used here," Hosler said at an online school board meeting Monday night.

Credit: WTOL

The superintendent said putting the recommendations into action would be difficult, especially social distancing within classrooms.

"If we have a class of 33 students, and we can only fit nine, maybe 10, that's a challenge," he said. "That's a challenge."

Perrysburg's board of education was not ready to make any definitive decisions Monday night as districts still await final guidance from the state.

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