Battle Ground Public Schools

Superintendent message: Reopening schools in the fall

May 26, 2020

Dear families of Battle Ground Public Schools,

Thank you for your patience, your understanding and your daily efforts to help students continue their learning at home during the statewide closure of school buildings. A great deal of our staff are also parents of children in Battle Ground schools, and we all know that remote learning is difficult and has many shortcomings. It simply does not compare to classroom-based learning. I am proud of our teachers, staff, families and students for working so hard to make the best of a challenging situation.

As we near the end of the year, many are wondering what school will look like in the fall. We are developing plans for a few possible scenarios in Battle Ground schools, while a Reopening Washington Schools workgroup is meeting simultaneously to discuss guidelines at the state level. I am honored to have been selected as a participant on the state workgroup, and am proud to represent Battle Ground schools and other districts in southwest Washington as we inform recommendations for public education during the health crisis. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal talks about possibilities for opening schools in the fall in a YouTube video he released over the weekend. 

We know that Battle Ground will have to prepare for a range of possibilities and follow public health guidelines for the safety of our students, employees, families and community. We also expect to receive guidelines on fall athletics and extracurricular activities from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Our district’s plans must be made in collaboration with our school principals and employee association leaders, and they must reflect the input we receive from staff and parents. Among the many details are bus transportation, social distancing protocols, personal protective equipment, meal services and cleaning and sanitizing procedures. We certainly don’t have all of the answers, but we are examining options that could include a rotation schedule allowing students to spend part of their week at school while continuing their remote learning at home.

To help us with this work, we will send a survey to parents in the coming days. Your responses and suggestions will guide us as we refine our remote learning practices and develop plans for the fall. Innovations in remote learning that have worked well this spring will be shared in schools across the district. Teachers and staff will continue to receive training to help them support our students.

I am grateful to be working in a school district and community that care so deeply about young people. Because of our shared interest in meeting the academic and non-academic needs of all students, I am confident that we will overcome the challenges of the next several months and that Battle Ground will be an even better district as a result of this experience.

Battle Ground schools will continue to provide updates as we learn more about fall plans. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Mark Ross, Superintendent
Battle Ground Public Schools