District News | Middletown City Schools

Return to Learn Plan — Click to view the PDF version of the plan

From the Desk of Marlon Styles, Jr., Proud Superintendent

Dear Middies:

The Middletown City School District believes the reopening of our schools should be a decision informed by applicable health and safety information. Our number one priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and staff. All Butler County school districts, including Butler County ESC, collaborated to create plans and safety protocol to bring students back to school full time for the upcoming school year.

The City of Middletown has experienced a low volume of COVID-19 cases. As of June 25, the city has 164 confirmed cases and 20 hospitalizations. Jackie Phillips, City of Middletown Health Commissioner, has been an instrumental leader in helping prepare our district for welcoming students back safely. Her expertise and leadership are deserving of the highest praise. Thank you to the community and staff for providing feedback to us through the district surveys. Fifty-five percent of survey respondents indicated their primary preference was to reopen school on a normal day with safety protocols in place. Many written comments express similar desires for students to return to school. After careful planning and collaboration, we are now excited to announce Middletown City School District will reopen all our schools for the upcoming school year, including bringing all students back to the classroom.

As we move forward with reopening our buildings, Middletown City School District is establishing general guidelines for each school. We will implement safety protocols to the highest degree possible for students and staff. In complete transparency, much like the reopening of businesses and facilities across Ohio, there is some level of risk present when students and staff return to occupy our facilities. Our number one priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and staff.

We will be onboarding our staff with the safety protocols prior to the students return. In late July, we will share our plans for communication with families in the event of a positive COVID-19 case involving a student or staff member. Our City Health Commissioner will provide us with guidance and protocols. Please join us for the remaining Virtual Town Hall meetings on Facebook Live (www.Facebook.com/MiddletownCitySchools).

We know you have many questions running through your mind. Reference the additional flyers for information on the topics below.

District Safety Protocol
School Issued Laptops
Virtual Option for Students
COVID-19 Testing Opportunity

We are excited to welcome students back for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding while we developed our plans. We thank you in advance for partnering with us to safely welcome students back to school in August. We thank you for always supporting the Middletown City School District. You are #MiddieRising!

All the best,

Marlon Styles, Jr.
Proud Superintendent, Middletown City School District

Safety Protocols
Guidelines Approved by Jackie Phillips, Health Commissioner

The safety and health of our students and staff is our number one priority. These general principles will guide MCSD as we move forward with reopening our schools:

MCSD will implement recommended safety protocols to the best of our abilities to minimize risk.
MCSD will continue to work with the Middletown Health Commissioner to promote safety in each school building and with families.
MCSD will be transparent with all stakeholders and communicate possible risks present with children and school district employees occupying school district facilities.
MCSD will revisit the safety guidelines regularly to ensure safety protocols are met as well as meet the current needs for safety of the staff and students.

Staff

Required to self-assess their health conditions prior to coming to school;
Required to wear face masks, when possible;
Face shields will be used at staff members discretion during small group sessions with students;
Engage in proper hand-washing throughout the school day;
Daily sanitization of high traffic touch points (doorknobs, desks, tables, etc.).

Students

We ask parents to self-assess their child’s health conditions prior to sending them to school;
Required to wear face mask;
Engage in proper hand-washing throughout the school day.
Engage in proper hand-washing/sanitizing throughout the day.

Bus

We ask parents to self-assess their child’s health conditions prior to sending them to school;
Required to wear face masks (drivers and students);
Students will be assigned to a seat;
Between and at the end of each bus route, all busses will be sanitized by drivers.

Cafeteria

Breakfast provided to students in the classroom;
Assigned seating;
Boxed lunches will be available to students (eliminate self serving);
Sanitization of tables between and after lunch periods.

87% of parents want school issued laptops

Grades 3-12: District Providing Computers for Students!

Beginning this fall all students in grades 3-12 will be provided with a school computer. The District Technology Plan calls for this next step as part of the “Middie Modernization Movement." Equity and access to learning for all students is a commitment in the Middletown City School District.

ALL students grades 3-12 will be provided with a district-issued laptop to take home every day.
We will distribute the laptops at the beginning of the school year.
We will ensure privacy and safety measures on all devices.
Students can access all classroom assignments and sites for learning.
Students will be responsible for charging their device at night and returning to school each day with the working device.

Why now?

Why not now? Prior to the pandemic, Middletown City Schools was planning on giving students district-issued devices. Our district is uniting for change! We are uniting to provide opportunities for ALL students. We are excited to offer students the opportunity to continue their learning outside of the school day. We are excited to start the process of removing the device barrier and getting ALL students "logged in." We have a systemic equity problem and we are excited to be a part of the positive solution.

How Can Your Student Go Virtual?

Middletown Curriculum Department has been working all summer to respond to concerns and questions around online or virtual learning. You asked and we are answering your concerns.

Middletown is prepared to offer an online virtual option for learning to those students who are unable to attend school for medical and health reasons. Participation in this virtual option will be only offered by the semester. Students must commit to a full semester.

Students in grades 6-12 will have access to online courses that will provide students a comprehensive approach to learning. All courses are aligned to Ohio standards and available in an easy to use platform. High school courses are for high school credit and count toward graduation.

Students in grades K-5 will access online content through Google Classroom. All courses have an easy log-on process and regular teacher support will be provided.

In the event of another school shutdown, all teachers will be prepared to continue the learning to all students impacted by the school closure. We have restructured our online delivery system so students continue to learn and grow.

If you're interested in the virtual option, please fill out this form: bit.ly/virtualmiddies

Go to the Middletown website for:

The Middie Parent Manual to Online Learning
The Middie Student Manual to Online Learning

COVID-19 Testing

You asked, we listened! We will offer free COVID-19 testing prior to the start of school. You can go to any location.

We take the safety and well-being of each of our students and staff seriously. We are excited to announce free COVID-19 drive-up testing at the below locations. The testing begins 2+ weeks before the start of school, meaning if a student or staff member tests positive that they will have over 2 weeks to self-quarantine and recover. We look forward to a healthy start of the 2020-21 school year.