Jackson superintendent, staff working on plan to open schools amid coronavirus

It’s no surprise when the superintendent of the Jackson School District, a former standout basketball player, trots out a sports metaphor to describe what it’s like getting ready for the 2020-2021 academic year, set to begin in four weeks on Aug. 24.

“There’s no playbook for this (COVID situation),” said John Link, who has led the district since 2015.

Link is beginning his 19th year overall as a superintendent, having previously served as leader of the Fair Grove district in Hartville, Missouri, near Springfield.

“(This year) is so different,” Link said. “It’s like starting a new career.”

Link and his administrative staff are putting finishing touches to a 30-page document for Jackson families.

The missive will lay out the plan for resuming in-person instruction at the 5,400-student district.

“The school board will approve (the plan) first,” Link said, “and then it’ll go out on our website Aug. 3 and through email.”

At last report, 437 students had signed up for Jackson’s virtual learning alternative called Ignite Online.

“I expect the (virtual) number to hit 10 to 15% (of our student body) before school starts,” said Link, who added he wants remote delivery of education to be “as productive” as on-campus education.

Link said there is no template for getting ready for a school year with an ongoing pandemic and reports of active cases of coronavirus rising.

“It’s a little bit like building an airplane while you’re still in the air,” Link observed.

With a state runner-up football team preparing for its season, Link said he doesn’t know whether fans will be allowed in the stands.

“There is no set direction on this yet,” Link said. “We plan to consult the guidance of the (Cape Girardeau) county health department about capacity.

“We are planning to have fans at the games,” Link added, “and we have put a real effort into livestreaming.”

For the first time, Jackson will make home contests of Indians football accessible online.

“We did it for (2020) graduation,” Link said, “and it went well.”

Link admitted even the district’s best blueprint for the immediate future is capable of being disrupted by COVID-19.

“There’s a lot of concern right now,” he said. “Perhaps we’ll have to play conference games only.”

Link said the district is keeping a close eye on visiting teams.

“We have some anxiety about the high rate (of COVID) in St. Louis, for instance,” he said.

Jackson is planning to kickoff its 2020 gridiron campaign Aug. 28 when the Roosevelt Roughriders, from the City of St. Louis, visit the Pit.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has established a three-tier system for permitting sports attendance in the wake of the pandemic.

If local or state guidelines restrict group sizes, people will be allowed into venues in the following “tiers,” from essential (Tier 1) to non-essential (Tiers 2 and 3).

• Tier 1: participants, coaches, officials, event staff, medical staff, security.
• Tier 2: media.
• Tier 3: spectators, vendors.

Link said there is a bottom line to all his team’s planning.

“We want everybody to be safe, that’s it,” he said.