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The Ludlow board of education met in person Thursday night to discuss the district’s plan for students to return.

Superintendent Michael Borchers said that the plan was set last Monday, and when Governor Andy Beshear issued his recommendations on Tuesday, the plans were aligned.

Ludlow’s plan requires the students to be back in school five days a week on Thursday, March 11.  

Those who have a reason to remain virtual can do so, but all students are strongly encouraged to come back and hopefully take the step to getting back to normal.

Though students may return to school, learning may be different than it was pre-pandemic, as some catching-up may be necessary. Mary A. Goetz Elementary principal Jason Steffen said that some young students were struggling without having in-person learning, but he is sure they will rebound quickly. 

“Kids are resilient, they bounce back,” said Steffen. “It will take some time, but they will come back.”

Ludlow High School Principal Travis Caudill said that some of his students are happy about coming back and some are not so sure. With extra help for the students who need it, he believes that the students will be able to adjust to being back in school full-time.

Superintendent Borchers also listed additional educational programs to help students return.

Social-distancing measures will remain in place along with face masks, sanitation, and contact-tracing.

High school students will eat in the cafeteria in shifts while the elementary students will eat in their classrooms.

Borchers said that the region appears to be heading in the right direction, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kenton County dropped from the “red zone” designation, denoting that the virus is widespread in the community. It is now listed as orange, and continues to trend in a better direction.

The superintendent said that he expects school to resume in-person full-time through the end of the year, and that the district is even considering the possibility of a prom and a graduation ceremony.

Meanwhile, Ludlow is one of fifty schools selected to take part in the Prichard Committee Family Friendly School Learning Cohort. Schools are nominated, and then sent an invitation to participate. The district has to sign a memorandum of agreement, due on April 1. Staff and parent surveys are sent out in the spring of 2021, 2022, and 2023. These surveys can be filled out in 15 minutes, and they help the committee to obtain funding to provide training and resources free of charge.

The Prichard Committee has been in existence since 1983, and they have a goal of advancing education in the state of Kentucky, by informing the public and policy makers about best practices, and engaging citizens, business leaders, families, and students in a shared mission to move Kentucky to the top tier of all states in educational excellence their entire school career.

Recently the committee has come out with information that Kentucky public school fourth graders’ test scores across the state declined significantly in the past few years,  with 35 percent scoring proficient in the NAPE  National Assessment test in 2020. This places Kentucky in the 26th slot out of 50 states, whereas in 2018 Kentucky placed 17th and in 2015 Kentucky placed 8th.

No numbers have come out for 2021 as of yet, but with the virtual learning and effects of the Covid virus, it is estimated that the numbers have not specifically improved.

Written by Patricia A. Scheyer, RCN contributor