WHY INDIANA SCHOOLS ARE PUSHING FOR IN-PERSON CLASSES
It has been one year since the COVID-19 outbreak and Indiana schools are pushing for the return of in-person classes, no matter the consequences. Is this push for the return of in-person classes safe? And why are schools so adamant on their return?
Photography by Kelly Sikkema
Videography by Max Fischer
Story by Luke Woodward
Published March. 9, 2021
The state of Indiana has been ranked 13th in the number of positive covid-19 test results, with a total of about 671 thousand positive cases. Of these positive cases, 12,744 have resulted in the patient’s death. Indiana schools have suffered many positive COVID-19 cases including student, teacher and staff members. About 28 and a half thousand students attending school in Indiana have tested positive, nearly six thousand teachers have tested positive, and around seven thousand staff members have tested positive. Yet positive COVID-19 cases are not common in all schools in Indiana. Of the 2,368 schools in Indiana, 1,928 schools have reported at least one positive case, whereas 151 schools have no reported cases, and 289 schools have not reported their cases. So, if there have been so many positive COVID-19 cases in schools across Indiana why do Schools keep pushing for in-person classes?
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Top 15 U.S. States with Positive Test Results
1. California with 3.6M cases
2. Texas with 2.7M cases
3. Florida with 1.95M cases
4. New York with 1.7M cases
5. Illinois with 1.2M cases
6. Georgia with 999K cases
7. Ohio with 980K cases
8. Pennsylvania with 955K cases
9. North Carolina with 879K cases
10. Arizona with 827K cases
11. New Jersey with 815K cases
12. Tennessee with 770K cases
13. Indiana with 671K cases
14. Michigan with 658K cases
15. Wisconsin with 622K cases
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List sources: Wikipedia and The New York Times
Educators are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The main reason for the push for in-person classes to resume may seem rather obvious, as the vaccine is made available to more people, now including educators, the shift back to in-person classes seems timely.
Yet this shift might still be premature at this time. In an interview with an Indiana schoolteacher, the vaccination site was described as “disorganized”. And, during this interview, I was told that many educators at the vaccination site were unable to get their vaccination shots as soon as possible due to this disorganization.
The disorganization of the vaccine sites is not the only reason why the new availability of the vaccine should not be a reason to push for the return of in-person classes. During my interview I was also made aware that it is not mandatory for all teachers to get the vaccine. “The teachers are not required to get the vaccine. Currently only about half of the teachers have gotten their first shot, and about a quarter of the teachers will never be vaccinated.”
School funding being cut due to virtual classes.
There is another reason for this push for the return of in-person classes, Indiana public school leaders are afraid their funding will be cut due to the number of students learning virtually.
Under the current law in the state of Indiana, if a student receives more than 50% of their education virtually, then a district only receives 85% of the students’ base funding. This law was temporarily rectified last year, in order to ensure full funding for the 2020 fall semester, but there has not yet been any change in the law for the spring 2021 semester.
Indiana governor, Eric Holcomb, has promised Indiana public school leaders to ensure full funding for the 2021 spring semester as well. In order to do this a new Senate Bill that would temporarily change the law, allowing for full funding of students being educated virtually due to COVID-19, is soon to be passed by the House.
What Indiana schools look like today.
In order to find out how schools currently operate in Indiana I conducted an interview with an Indiana schoolteacher. The teacher, from Stanley Clark grade school in Saint Joseph county, explained to me that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each class is kept completely separated from the other classes each day. The students stay inside of one classroom with their masks on all day until it is time for recess, when each class takes turns playing outside in order to keep each class separated from one another. “The school is set up this way so that if there is an outbreak in one class, it will not affect the other classes.”. Moreover, every time anyone leaves or enters a room, they are required to sanitize their hands.
While Stanley Clark is a private school, the teacher I interviewed stated that the teacher’s unions are pushing for mandatory in person classes four days a week at public schools, in order to fulfill the current requirements for full funding.
Sources: The Journal Gazette; Indiana COVID-19 Data Report; The New York Times; wfyi, Indianapolis; Indiana public media