Hi John,

First, thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday and for contributing generously to my Facebook fundraiser for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. We raised nearly $1,000!! Thank you for making my birthday a special one. 

With August just around the corner, many Ohioans are getting ready to go back to school or college. Some, like my granddaughter Sadie, are just starting Kindergarten.  As your State Representative, I am involved in this effort because I vote on the state budget that provides state dollars for K-12 schools and higher education institutions. I also  work on legislation that relates to educational issues. I listen to concerns of district residents and others, connect people to the resources and help they need, and share information. 

As a parent and experienced educator, I understand and share many of your concerns about the opening of schools this fall. I have had many conversations about just this topic. I have held open office hours, and have participated in several town halls to ensure that information is readily available to my constituents and that their questions are answered. If you would like to stay up to date with information about my work in the Statehouse, please sign up for my official House e-newsletter here. 

I regularly post information about Town Halls and Office Hours on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts (links can be found at the bottom of this email). Please encourage your friends and neighbors to follow me on social media and to join my mailing list for this publication through my campaign website (https://www.marylightbody.com/get-involved). Throughout the rest of July and all of August I will be working closely with District 19 school districts to ensure that our students and teachers are safe and that our parents and guardians are informed. 

I understand that these times are unsettling and that many of you have unanswered questions. My staff compiled the following information about our school districts’ current plans to reopen this fall. Plans are subject to change, so the information provided here is current as of today’s date (7/30/20). If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me through my social media, my email, or my website. 
 

Columbus

CCS will remain all virtual through at least the first quarter of the traditional school year and through at least the first intersession of the year-round school calendar. For schools on the traditional calendar, the first day of virtual classes is Tuesday, Sept. 8, and the first quarter ends on Tuesday, Oct. 27. For the District’s only year-round school, Woodcrest Elementary, virtual classes begin on Wednesday, July 29. Students return from the first intersession on Monday, Oct. 26

Westerville

As a result of a conversation yesterday among area superintendents and health officials from several organizations, the district’s executive leadership team has determined that the Westerville City Schools should open the 2020-21 Academic Year under a 100% remote learning model and not the blended learning model originally recommended. They will remain ready to transition immediately to a blended learning model at any time, but only when identified data leading to this decision shows the improvement recommended by these same health officials.

 

Gahanna

Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools will be 100% online for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Classes will begin on August 24th. This decision was made yesterday, July 29th with more details to be released in the coming days on the GJPS website.

New Albany

The Responsible Restart plan for NAPLS is to begin with a full school week where all students and staff will be required to social distance and wear masks at all times. There will also be plans for a hybrid model of half online, half in person, as well as full online options depending on what circumstances require. Mask breaks will be set up for students and staff as well as enhanced disinfecting of all surfaces and hand sanitizing stations all over the schools. The New Albany Board of Education will next meet on August 3rd. The event will be streaming on their youtube channel. 

There are a number of coronavirus testing centers available if you or a loved one needs to get tested. There are at least 10 testing centers in Columbus, with Columbus Public Health operating their main site at 240 Parsons Avenue. Other locations in the city can be found on the Columbus Public Health website at www.columbus.gov/publichealth. Some testing sites are drive-through and all sites require scheduling an appointment. You can always contact Columbus Public Health at 614-645-1519 with any questions concerning the pandemic.

Elsewhere in District 19, testing may be available at your local CVS, Walmart, or Urgent Care. Please call ahead to make sure they are conducting tests and to schedule an appointment, as sites can have limited testing capacity. For more information about the coronavirus and where you can get tested, call the Ohio Department of Health at 833-427-5634 or visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov.