Schools closed until April 17

In response to Governor Mark Gordon’s decision to extend statewide health orders until April 17, Crook County School District (CCSD) has announced it will remain closed until that date. The Wyoming High School Activities Association (WSHAA) will be suspending spring sports until the same date.

However, Superintendent Mark Broderson has announced that steps are being taken to ensure educational activities can once again resume.

“On April 6, academic studies will resume and grading will take place for all classes just as it did while school was in session, prior to the closure,” he says.

According to Broderson, teachers have been in continuous contact with all students to make a determination for which strategy will work best for them to make this happen.  

“The initial closure was March 17 through April 3 and during this time teachers and staff worked to keep families and students up-to-date with their current learning and also provide food distribution,” says Broderson of the district’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

“Beginning April 6, all academic requirements will once again take place with an alternate delivery method, which will involve a variety of strategies to best fit the needs of the student and the family.” 

The unprecedented measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus have been a learning opportunity for everyone involved at the school district, he says.

“We continue to wait for additional guidance from the state before making any decisions on moving forward. Many are hopeful that we will resume with normal school classes on April 20, at the end of the most recent closure, but we also know we need to be prepared to continue to find ways to work with families and deliver needed academic rigor for students if we are not able to return to our campuses,” he says. 

“We are having conversations about how our graduations may look if the school closure is extended to the end of the academic year.”

Despite the uncertainty and the fact that everyone is experiencing a lot of firsts during this time and making adjustments as they go, Broderson says things are going as well as can be expected.

“Our parents have been patient and understanding while our staff is collaborating and sharing ideas for this new method of educating our children,” he says.

“We are focusing on frequent communication between our staff and families to keep everyone informed to prepare our students for their next step in the fall.”   

Meanwhile, Broderson reminds parents that anyone with a need, question or concern can reach out to their child’s school for assistance. 

Meanwhile, the WHSAA has responded to the governor’s announcement by extending the suspension of spring sports until Monday, April 20.

“So that everyone will be on an equal playing field, there will continue to be no practices during the suspension,” says the press release.

“Due to the continuing influence of COVID-19 we are not able to predict when it will be safe to resume spring sports. We will continue to be guided by the Government of Wyoming, including the Wyoming Department of Health and the State Department of Education.”

The WHSAA Board of Directors will be reconvening to hold further discussions and request input from the organization’s member schools.