“The last five months have been a challenge for pretty much everyone I know on one front or another,” said Heather Tuttle, who has an Oakwood High School student. “It’s a risky time and we all have to rely on each other to be safe and follow public health guidelines.”
Tuttle said data for the COVID-19 case rate for Aug. 14 in the 45419 ZIP code was 443.8 per 100,000, “well above the CDC’s recommendation for return to school.”
Parents pointed to decisions by neighboring school districts like Dayton and Kettering opting to begin the year with all remote learning.
Earlier this month, a letter written by Oakwood Teachers Association President Jay Lane expressed concern for student and staff safety as in-person classes resume.
“I believe all of us are experiencing some degree of anxiety or fear, some more significant than others,” according to Lane’s letter on the district’s website. “So, we are wrestling with what the right thing to do is like everyone else.
“We are experiencing a conflict of emotions because we know that opening the buildings and teaching our students face-to-face is better than online instruction, it provides a better structure for student learning, and it provides better support for students’ mental and emotional health,” the letter states.
