Rise of COVID-19 Cases at Ohio Schools and colleges
Ohio School Districts Change to Hybrid Learning as COVID Cases Continue to Rise
Ohio schools have reported 5,058 COVID-19 cases this fall among students and staff. The numbers do not include students at virtual learning schools who were not on school grounds while they were infectious. On Oct. 29, the Ohio Department of Health reported more than 1,232 new school cases, the largest increase since the state’s dashboard was released on Sept. 17, and the second consecutive week with more than 1,000 cases.
Per the Ohio Department of Health, the Cincinnati area saw the biggest jumps in the number of COVID cases in the state — Cincinnati Public Schools had 37 cases total, and Oak Hills Local documented 21 cases.
Due to the significant rise in COVID cases, K-12 schools are scaling back in-person instruction due to the worsening coronavirus crisis, announcing learning model changes against the backdrop of loudening calls from the political arena for schools to let students back into the classroom.
In the last couple weeks as the coronavirus crisis has spiraled, superintendents have announced controversial switches from in-person to hybrid learning, from hybrid to virtual, or postponing plans to shift to more in-person instruction.
Due to the rise of local COVID-19 cases in Dublin, the school recently postponed its plans to return to five-day in-person learning. Columbus City Schools had planned to switch to a hybrid learning model in the fall after starting the term virtually. But record COVID-19 numbers in Ohio put those plans on hold.
As schools switch to remote and hybrid learning, the students continue to fall behind. According to an Oct. 21 Spectrum News/IPSOS Poll, 46% of Ohioans say children have fallen behind in school due to COVID-19 and more than half, 54%, believe their child would be safe to attend school in-person.
With COVID cases continuing to rise, most Ohio schools have no clear plans of switching back to five-day-in-person learning.
Ohio Colleges and Universities
Thousands of new coronavirus cases continue to emerge on Ohio college campuses. In fact, Ohio ranks fourth nationally in coronavirus cases at colleges. The College of Wooster moved all classes online for the rest of the fall after dozens of cases emerged, including several tied to social events. Per the New York Times, Ohio is currently reporting 10, 855 cases at 56 colleges and universities.
Along with colleges focusing on a phased return to campus, as fall semesters begin to wind down and registration gets underway for another term in a pandemic-ridden school year, colleges and universities have been announcing tweaks to their spring schedules.
In many cases, spring breaks will fall by the wayside in an effort to keep students from traveling. The idea is to minimize spreading the virus to others or bringing it back to campus. In other cases, universities are opting for a later start date or virtual classes to begin the spring semester.
Ohio State University was one of the first to announce back in mid-September it would do away with the traditional spring break in favor of two “instructional days” without classes in February and in March. Leaders said at the time the decision would reduce travel-related exposures.
Other universities and colleges across the state and country have since announced similar moves. Bowling Green University, Denison University, Miami University, Otterbein University, Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Toledo have each swapped out their spring break in favor of two to five break days scattered throughout the semester.
Other schools opted to move their spring breaks to the start or end of the term. Cleveland State University, for example, moved its spring break to the beginning of its spring term in January, allowing students a longer winter break. Kent State University moved its break to April, then plans to finish the semester remotely until the last day of finals on May 12.
Some universities are also adjusting the start of their spring semesters, which typically begin in early or mid-January. In addition to eliminating its spring break, OU trustees decided Thursday to start the semester a week later than usual, with classes beginning Jan. 19. The university also plans to expand its student testing program next semester.
Ohio State will begin the semester at its usual time on Jan. 11 with classes delivered online only during the first week so students can quarantine upon their return.
Ohio Wesleyan won’t start classes until Feb. 3, and even then, will begin the semester remotely for the first two weeks. Classes are scheduled to move to an in-person format starting Feb. 15.
Changes surrounding spring break in 2021 serve as a grim marker of time in the coronavirus pandemic. It was during March of this year — the same time as many Ohio college spring breaks — that universities made decisions to delay students’ return to campus, with most students eventually forced to move out of dorms altogether in an effort to curb the virus’ spread.