Back to School: 2 Preble County districts begin classes as county remains in ‘red’ Level 3 status

LEWISBURG — Monday was the first day of school for two districts in Preble County.

And as of Monday afternoon, the county was in the “red” for the state’s COVID-19 Public Health Advisory System. A coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home in Eaton is part of what’s driving that “Level 3” rating. The Ohio Department of Health says a Level 3 or “red” county has “very high exposure and spread,” of the coronavirus.

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Children were back at school for in-person classes at Tri-County North in Lewisburg and at National Trail in New Paris.

Each district, like many others throughout the Miami Valley, offered the option for online or in-person learning. At Tri-County North, Superintendent William Derringer said about 100 of the district’s 800 students chose the virtual learning option.

A few miles down U.S. 40 in New Paris, National Trail Superintendent Bob Fischer told News Center 7 that 96 students (8.6% of students in that district) chose online learning, while 1,019 students (91.4% of the district’s students) opted for in-person learning.

“It was exciting,” Annabel Furguson said about her first day of senior year at Tri-County North High School. “The masks, we’ve got a one-way hallway,” Furguson mentioned when asked about some of the measures in place to protect against COVID-19.

It might not have been the start to senior year she expected, but she said she was excited to be back in class and to see her friends.

“They don’t have everybody in the cafeteria for lunch like they’ve got some people in the library, they’ve spread it out,” Furguson said, describing some of the social distancing measures in place.

“We’re sanitizing in between classes,” Tri-County North Superintendent Bill Derringer said. “We’re not letting the kids use the drinking fountains. We’re having them stay socially distanced as best we can. That’s very difficult in small schools like ours.”

Derringer also told News Center 7 the district is performing temperature checks for students before they board the bus and for teachers and students who walk or drive to school before they enter the building.

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“The kids -- they’ve done an awesome job so far today with all of those procedures,” Derringer said. “We’re just trying to keep them apart and as safe and healthy as we can.”

In a phone conversation Monday after the school day was over, Fischer told News Center 7 the first day of class went smoothly at National Trail as well. He echoed Derringer’s sentiments hope for a safe and healthy school year with plenty of COVID-19 precautions in place in New Paris.

All of the safety measures in place are aimed at creating as healthy and as successful a year as possible for Annabel Furguson and thousands of other students like her across Preble County.

“I think at this point I’m used to it because we’ve been doing this stuff,” Furguson said. “But I think I was just more excited to see my friends and having to wear a mask while I’m here it’s fine.”

Looking ahead to some other back-to-school dates in Preble County: Twin Valley South Schools in West Alexandria are on a hybrid plan because of the county being in the red on the state’s COVID advisory system. Superintendent Scott Cottingim told News Center 7 “Group A” starts Tuesday and “Group B” starts Thursday in West Alex.

Eaton Community Schools is the largest district in Preble County. They go back to class August 31.

Preble-Shawnee returns to class Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day.

Cox Media Group