Area schools begin return to classroom Monday

Monday, most public school students in Arkansas and Missouri begin their return to the classroom for onsite instruction for the first time in over five months.

With the arrival of the Ides of March, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson ordered schools closed for onsite learning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That closure was to last until April 17, but as the coronavirus raged on throughout the nation, the order was extended through the remainder of the school year on April 6.

Schools across the Twin Lakes Area will reopen to a new world, where all involved are dealing with new methods of learning, as well as striving to prevent the spread of the virus.It’s a time of uncertainty, no doubt, but one that is welcome to leaders of the area’s public school districts.

Cotter Public Schools’ Superintendent Vanessa Thomas-Jones discusses the opening day of school in her district.

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All districts will be facing new challenges, as Flippin Superintendent Kelvin Hudson explains.

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Schools will also be working hard to ease any trepidation about returning to school, according to Dr. Jake Long, superintendent at Mountain Home.

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While things will be different, the goal for all districts is to keep students in the classroom to optimize the educational process, as Yellville-Summit’s Wes Henderson explains.

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Some of the age-old problems with the first day of school remain, such as transportation issues, according to Long.

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Long adds that after-school traffic could have an impact on transportation, as well, and that parents should not expect students taking the school bus to arrive home at the same time as last year.

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