The Superior School District is seeking feedback from parents as administrators prepare for the 2020-21 school year.

A short survey including questions about internet access, busing and whether they intend to send children back to the classroom will be sent out by email and be available on the district website by early next week, said District Administrator Amy Starzecki. Families will have a week to respond.

“Ultimately, we will be asking all families to complete it as it will help us plan,” Starzecki said.

The survey was discussed at a Superior School Board meeting Monday, June 8, along with survey results received from teachers and district principals about the pros, cons and challenges encountered with the abrupt shift to distance education for the end of the school year.

The gathering of information is just a first step. School doesn’t start for nearly three months, Starzecki said, and a lot can change. District leaders are preparing for different scenarios depending on what COVID-19 restrictions are in place this fall, including continued online learning or a hybrid of online and in-class instruction.

“We need to have a plan for each scenario,” Starzecki said, as the situation can change within 24 hours based on health official directives.

One thing the pandemic has done is help district staff develop new options and instruction methods.

“We had no choice but to change our practice overnight,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Crystal Hintzman. “When we put our minds to it we have to think outside the box and we have to change our practices to do what’s right for kids and families … We have amazing staff who rose to the occasion.”

Changes families may see this fall include socially-distant desks and bus seating, the use of face masks and temperatures being taken at the doors.

The district will be receiving roughly $822,000 in federal CARES Act funding, with a chunk of those dollars going to the three private schools in the district — Maranatha, Cathedral and Twin Ports Baptist — based on their enrollment numbers. Superior’s funds will be earmarked for items such as laptops, tablets, cleaning equipment and enhanced air filters.

Policy changes

On June 1, the Superior School Board discussed a policy that outlines what personal furniture and appliances can be brought to and used at school buildings, and a policy prohibiting products that disperse fragrance such as air fresheners, potpourri and diffusers. A second reading of the policies will take place at the July board meeting before they can be instituted.