LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's been a busy year to be in the business of educating children, and as superintendent of Kentucky's biggest school district, the decisions that had to be made are unprecedented.
In a one-on-one with WHAS11, JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio discussed the return to in-person education, district protocols focused on keeping children safe and coming together on an issue so many people are split on.
"I have never had an issue where it is so evenly divided between people who obviously don't want to return to school, and people who are adamant about returning to school," Pollio said. "Everyone is struggling with what is the right decision to be made."
Pollio said he understood all JCPS board members had a difficult decision to make in what became a 4-3 decision to return to class.
"All seven opinions...each and every board member had a valid stance on this that is not wrong," Pollio said. "We're all dealing with the same challenge."
The district has been releasing protocols for back-to-school, including new information on transportation. Students and bus drivers will be required to wear masks at all times, and seats will be assigned for contact tracing.
While some parents and children have been nervous about the safety of returning, Pollio said the district has taken every step to ensure each student who chooses to return to class is safe.
"Every necessary step, every necessary mitigation step, and more, above and beyond what the state and the CDC requires, we've stepped up above that," Dr. Pollio said.
What JCPS will do if it sees an outbreak? Pollio said he's consulted with other school districts of all sizes on how to approach an outbreak, saying he ultimately has the final decision on closures.
"There's no doubt where we could see schools, where we have to quarantine certain staff members, and get to a point where we say that school might have to go virtual as a result of those cases," Pollio said.
Information on JCPS plans and protocols can be found on the district's Back-to-School website. Families can share whether or not their child will return to class or remain online on the site as well.
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