It was a busy first day of school but for students, less than half of whose usual numbers filled classrooms in Flagler County’s schools: Fewer than 6,000 students took seats in actual classrooms. That’s less than half the 13,000 enrolled at the end of last year, with another 4,000 enrolled in either of the district’s online options. In other words, almost a quarter of the district’s students didn’t show for the first day, for any of the three options.
There were consequently far fewer students on school buses, something the district is not discouraging (it actually encourages parents to drive their children to school if possible, which overloaded car lines at Old Kings and Belle Terre Elementary today).
Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt said she expects enrollment numbers to increase over the next 10 days as parents and students get a better sense of the district’s preparations–and first-week enrollments tend to be off anyway, if not nearly by this much.
Teachers, administrators and staffers welcomed students back in various ways, including Flagler Palm Coast High School’s drum line welcoming parents and students back this morning at Buddy Taylor Middle School. Secretaries at Old Kings spent their Sunday preparing “You’ve Got This” goody bags for faculty members. The bags were filled with personal protection equipment, sanitizers, masks and the like.
But if there was a measure of excitement about being back, there was also apprehension, uncertainty, many unanswered questions and a sense that sooner or later, it may all go back to remote-only instruction: that’s what teachers and administrators trained for most in the several days of teacher-training that preceded opening day.
“We’re scared and nobody is really saying that because we don’t want to present that face to children,” a veteran teacher in one of the district’s elementary school said, reflecting on a decade and a half of teaching locally. The teacher asked not to be identified, for fear of retribution. “The nervous tension that I felt was palpable, and I’m pretty much in the center. I’m so glad to be back in brick and mortar and our administrators have done such a great job training us. They’ve laid out the hallways, put things on the ground so the children know what direction to go, the lunch room, we used Google Docs to put the seating arrangements. All the students are facing one way. There’s room between them.” At the same time, with young children wearing masks, half their expressions hidden, an element of surrealism permeated the day, the teacher said.
“There was a little bit of a lack of excitement, that’s probably because half their faces were covered and I couldn’t read their excitement,” the teacher said. “Many of us feel school is going to be shutting down soon and there’s an element of–we’re sacrificial lambs.” But among the unanswered questions–which were posed again and again during training, and left unanswered throughout–was what triggers would cause a classroom to be shut down, or a school, or the district. That uncertainty is leaving teachers and employees fearful.
In one teacher’s case, a young elementary-age student who’d just been introduced, and who didn’t speak English, immediately rushed the teacher for a big hug–as counterintuitive a no-no as there is in today’s environment. “It’s almost like I felt I should have been wearings scrubs today,” the teacher said. “I want to be responsible, and I’m fearful. But I think our administration has done a good job of doing everything they can that’s possible to keep the students and the staff safe, and the faculty. It’s kind of a scary situation.”
Classrooms, for all the efforts to reduce them in size, are still stacked with children: the teacher spoke of 18 students in one classroom, distanced as much as possible, but not to the extent that could happen if there were 12 to 15 students instead. But the district can’t afford smaller classes.
Mittelstadt visited every one of the district’s 10 campuses, including Imagine, the charter school in Town center, and found teachers doing “remarkable” things in a changed world, their adaptability on display in every school. Some taught live classes, some taught remote-only classes, some taught iFlagler, the virtual option where teachers aren’t necessarily interacting with students so much as monitoring their progress and intervening on an as-needed basis.
Just as inevitably, a letter went out to the Matanzas High School community of parents and staffers, informing them that a staffer there had tested positive for covid-19, the latest among a dozen or so staffers who have tested positive in the last few months, with most of those cases concentrated in the past six weeks. School districts across the state are following Gov. Ron DeSantis’s and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s playbook: positive cases, they said last week, are a certainty, but districts should address them on a case by case basis, checking with the state Department of Education first before shutting classes or schools down.
Finally today, as students and teachers were seeing each other for the first time since spring break, a court decision sent a different message to Corcoran and DeSantis. Accusing the state of ignoring the Florida Constitution, a Leon County circuit judge sided with teachers unions that challenged a state order mandating that schools resume in-person instruction this month amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Schools should reopen when the local decision-makers determine upon advice of medical experts, that it is safe to do so. Our Constitution requires safe schools,” the judge said in Monday’s 17-page order.
DeSantis’ office quickly said it would appeal, which would put the ruling on hold. That means business continues in local districts, if not as usual, then at least as devised through a patchwork of options across districts and within them. Flagler chose to adopt the tri-fold model of offering in-person instruction to those who want it, and iFlagler and remote-live to those who are not comfortable sending their children to campuses. The remote-live option, with nearly 2,400 in attendance today, means that a teacher is in his or her classroom, teaching students at home through a livestream just as class is unfolding in person.
In some cases, the teachers teach only remote students. School Board member Andy Dance visited Wadsworth and Rymfire Elementary today (and the transportation department), and saw two remote-live teachers teaching without students in their classrooms. “I didn’t get to talk to the teachers, we were just observing, but they were engaged and seemed to be working effortlessly,” Dance said. “As an observer that’s about the limit of what I could get. ”
“The employees we talked to, the administrators, everybody was very excited to be back at school,” Dance said.
Carmen Stanford, a parent who’d been closely involved in the Bunnell Elementary community–serving on that school’s advisory council–and now the Buddy Taylor Middle School community, where her daughter is enrolled in person, described her daughter’s experience today: “Emma couldn’t wait for school to start. She was anxious but all because she started at a new school, new friends, and lots of unfamiliar faces. We’ve decided a long time ago that face-to-face was the best option for her. I have been in contact all summer with BTMS’s principal [and] administrators and I had full confidence that they will do everything they can to provide the safest environment possible. According to Emma all protocols were followed in the school, everyone wore a mask, and they occasionally received brief ‘mask-free’ breaks. She had a fantastic day, zero complaints about her day, except that she doesn’t have lunch with her best friend. No mention of the unusual times. She is completely acclimated to this new normal. She got off the school bus excited and happy.
Stanford’s description echoed Dance’s: “Based on the few kids we saw, the excitement is there, and I think there’s a lot of families and kids that are excited and ready to be back.”
“All in all our families responded so well and had our students prepared,” Mittelstadt said. As the day wore on, the superintendent said she could see “see that summer vacation was over and people were getting tired by the end of the day.” You could tell from students’ looks in their eyes that they weren’t yet used to the early-morning wake-up, the day’s rigors.
Meanwhile the district and its two unions, the Flagler County Educators Association, which represents teachers, and the Flagler Employees and Support Personnel Association, have agreed to a series of memorandums of understanding that define such things as leave with pay when necessitated by covid (full pay when on quarantine, for example, or when seeking medical care related to covid, two-thirds pay when the employee is caring for a family member affected by covid); the parameters and limits of employees’ responsibilities when teaching remote and through iFlagler (the memo requires the district to limit as much as possible “blended” classes, where both live and remote students are taught); and a slight increase, to $542 a month, of the district’s share of employee insurance premiums (from $516).
Meeting on Tuesday, the school board is expected to ratify all the memorandums, Mittelstadt said. The superintendent noted that last week’s reports of shortages of protective and sanitation equipment in schools were misplaced–that the district is well stocked, and principals have been instructed to provide employees what supplies they need, to the extent possible.
Lunch is a new world, too: only two or three students per table, food is prepackaged in a bag or styrofoam containers, all food bars have been eliminated. When paying, students show their ID card and have their bar code scanned. No touching. All the middle and high schools have outdoor eating areas as well. At FPC, one of the gyms was opened for use during lunch.
Jason Wheeler, the school district’s spokesman, visited every campus with Mittelstadt. “It wasn’t that usual electric feel you feel on day one, but it wasn’t like a gloomy gray cloud hanging over everything,” Wheeler said. “There were fewer students obviously, they were moving cautiously, you could see a lot of them were glad to see each other again.”
The day ended with Mittelstadt holding a debriefing to see what could be improved on–an example: the distribution of computers and tablets. There’d also been problems with remote-live instruction through Zoom Monday, but that was mostly a Zoom problem, not a district problem.
“We’d love to have everybody back in the building but considering the times,” Mittelstadt said, noting the way the district has balanced its three options, “where we are right now is a very good place.”
The teacher who was interviewed today said it was apparent that the district was doing the best it could with what it has–and what it knows about how to handle outbreaks, which is not much. “So much has been left on the county’s shoulder, and they don’t really know how to handle it,” the teacher said, citing the number of questions that went unanswered in eight days of pre-planning, such as when a school would have to shut down. “They either couldn’t or wouldn’t tell us, and that’s created a lot of tension,” the teacher said.
“Nobody’s coming out and saying it but we’re frightened, we’re frightened for our families, we’re frightened for our kids. Yeah, we all wanted to go back to brick and mortar, but we wanted to do it in a safe way.”
Pat says
Shame on School Board Chairman Janet McDonald who chose not to be a leader and good example for our children of Palm Coast!
She did NOT wear a mask and could be a super spreader of the virus to our children on the first day of school!
What a shameful and uncaring attitude this woman has chosen. She should be admonished and removed from the School Board!
Ld says
She also did not appear to be 6′ distant from others. Defiant, sending wrong message to students
Concerned for our children says
Thank you to all the school staff for all of your hard work and dedication. Considering the circumstances, it was a very successful day and we appreciate you. Very disappointed though in Janet McDonald and her lack of leadership and setting such a poor example. I saw several pictures on Twitter as well where she did not have a mask on or had it on incorrectly. We expect our children to wear masks, but you can’t model this behavior? Disappointing to say the least.
Jimbo99 says
Disturbingly disappointing stats to say the least. All of the “No (Your) Child Left Behind Act” & “Every (Their) Student Succeeds Act just went out the window in Spring/Summer/Fall of 2020. Where are the other 1/2 of the children. This can’t be isolated statistical poor attendance and therefore education either. School taxation needs to be reduced if 1/2 the children are opting out of school/education programs.
Andy says
Chairwoman McDonald is a shining example for children.
An example of when dumb crosses the line and veers into dangerous.
I got my elementary-aged son to look at the picture and figure out which person didn’t belong, thanks Sesame Street!
Batgirl says
Awesome comment and exercise with your child. Definitely smarter than Janet McDonald.
Must go says
Why is the nut job on the left allowed on campus while ignoring school district regulations? Because her stupid political views matter more than any kid, teacher or staff member. Thank you to everyone who made yesterday a success. At least we can say we tried.
Kim Pandich-Gridley says
I guess Janet McDonald considers herself too important to wear a mask…maybe in her “holier than thou state” she’s completely germ free?? Regardless, it would be nice if we’re asking staff and students to wear a mask, the school board chair could pretend to be a role model and wear one herself. Perhaps when the new school board members take office, they could revisit the possibility of a censure.
dan says
Yes, holier than thou Janet McDonald is above covid!! So thoughtful of her to stand at the front making sure everyone sees her without a mask. I’m sure the students, parents dropping them off and the huge line of teachers directly behind her really appreciated seeing that to welcome them back!! My third grader is required to wear a mask to that school yet she is not???!!! Jason Wheeler should take action immediately.
Frustrated citizen says
Well thanks Janet McDonald, for setting a fine example for the kids. Wear a mask!! This woman is dangerous and has no business being a school board member.
Derrick Redder says
Well every person who pays the school taxes is due for a $200 refund . No school , less school = less employees ,less extra curricular activities , less grounds keeping, less nursing, less after school babysitting, less free meals, less cafeteria staff, less bloted administion personal and specialist, less transposrtion staff and less busses needed.
WE THE PROPERTY OWNERS DEMAND A FULL AUDIT OF ALL SPENDING AND BALANCE SHEETS.
WE THE PROPERTY TAXPAYERS DEMAND A REFUND FOR THE 2020 SCHOOL YEAR
PAY UP says
I agree 100%. I want …no I DEMAND a refund on my property taxes. I’m sick and tired of being RIPPED OFF from this county.
P says
The children are attending school but not through brick and mortar. They are using iFlagler and remote.
3,000 are not missing, just using the other 2 options given. ☺️
FlaglerLive says
Incorrect. Last year enrollment was around 13,000. Total enrollment, including the remote options, was around 10,000 at the beginning of the week.
Derrick Redder says
But those butts are not in the
actual school so one teacher via online instructions can administer to over 1000 + students.
Or ever pupil in that grade level in every county school .
Those that choose to
attend can be housed in just one facility thus eliminate the other 4 facilities.
JD says
You’re so far off bud. There are actually so many things that come into play that you’re not considering. IEPs, 504 plans and the like. These students need small settings and flexible time. There are also constraints put on schools by the state on how many kids can be in the same class. Sort yourself out before you make another dumb comment.
Edith Campins says
You overlook the cost of the protective measures which have had to be put in place. The additional paperwork and tracking of students not physically attending school, the fact that teachers have had to work to adopt curriculum for on line classes. The buses are still running, even do they are carrying less students. The additional paperwork require to keep track of infection rates, the cost of testing for staff. Your is a knee jerk reaction which fails to take into account the new and unprecedented circumstances that schools are having to deal with.
T. J says
What’s not being spent necessarily on the Students not present will probably go into other much needed things within the school, better sports equipment, resurfacing, and replacing broken or missing things.. I remember running around FPC as a toddler and seeing the same things there being used today, albeit in better condition back then.
E says
So glad essential employees such as supermarket workers, gas station employees, drug store employees, etc. are brave enough to go to work! As a retired teacher, I am disappointed that teachers don’t have the same views as the aforementioned workers. Please stop whining and follow the example of the other essential workers.
A says
Come on back then! We’ve got openings and para positions! Put your money where your mouth is or hush :)
Marianne Farrell says
I too am a retired teacher and in my career I wanted to be considered essential. I took pride in my profession and am very disappointed that teachers do not see themselves as frontliners in the protection of our children’s future. Where would we be if our nurses and doctors were unwilling to step up as frontline soldiers protecting those afflicted with this virus. I am sure they are afraid, I am sure they have families that they have to take into consideration. I always thought teachers to be on par with these professionals and so disappointed to find they are not. Teaching is more than just a job it is a calling, a profession and for those who not see it as that should leave. Don’t taint those of us who dedicated ourselves to educating tomorrows leaders and preserving the future of America.
A says
Again, it’s very easy to sit up in the safety of your ivory tower and preach. If you’re not going to “heroically” come out of retirement to fill some of the positions vacated by those who did not sign up to RISK THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THEIR LOVED ONES, then your opinion is just another one in the useless cacophony. You don’t get to call our current staff less than for being worried and scared. So why don’t you abstain from besmirching those who are in the trenches RIGHT NOW. You holier than thou attitude does nothing but sew more unrest.
whathehck says
I am hoping for the best for our teachers, staff and students, maybe miracles will happen.
How revolting though to see the head of the school board Janet McDonald showing her total disregard for the staff, she only cares about her own ideology that she would gladly impose on all. Simple decency would have her wear a mask (defying her loyalty to her cult) to alleviate the staff fear. Pure selfishness.
tulip says
If stores and doctors offices and others can require that you wear a mask or you can’t enter the premises, why can’t the school board say the same thing and make moronic macdonald wear a mask or no entry? Like her infamous husband, she would probably sue the county and cost the county massive amounts in lawyers fees. McDonald and any one else should be made to wear a mask while in the presence of school kids and teachers, This double standard needs go away and the school board needs to get the guts and courage to stand up to McDonald.
jim dana says
We can vote her out.
Deirdre says
Hi, I’ve asked if she can be voted out or have her impeached, and the union tells me this is not possible
tulip says
Voting her out is two years away. I think the school board should stop being a bunch of wimps and make McDonald follow the rules or leave the position.
Bill C says
What is a bonehead like Janet McDonald doing on the school board? Next she’ll have all the children wearing aluminum foil hats.
Pandemonium says
Omg, thank you 😂
Deirdre says
I thought aluminum hats were the standard part of school uniform, not that masks are. They say they’re mandated but if a student won’t wear one they just need to be kept 6 feet apart HA HA, so easy. The only way they would have to go for remote learning is if they absolutely made a stink about it and refused to ever wear one, kind of like JM. At lunch, HUNDREDS of kids are sitting together with no masks on, no possible way to social distance, but for some weird reason the school board doesn’t seem to think that it’s a good idea to close things down. We’ll see if that lasts when everything hits the fan, we’ve only been back one week so let’s see how it looks next week. People at the schools have been getting sick before the kids even returned, and I know of teachers right now that have it, but this is not announced. I know from Flagler times a custodian at MHS got it, but when I asked multiple custodians no one knew anything about it
kcpc says
Seeing Janet MacDonald at the school, and other maskless dolts at our local stores is a great learning opportunity for our kids. They can look at the person’s face and see what stupid looks like.
Only Me says
I agree with Derrick Redder as a taxpayer Flagler County Tax Department needs to be giving a refund or credit on the school taxes we have been paying especially when there wasn’t any schools in session.
Mike West says
Is Janet McDonald’s position on the board an elected one? And if so, when is her seat up for election? I agree, with new board members, there has to be a way to remove her as Chair.
Kim Pandich-Gridley says
McDonald can only be removed by the governor as she was elected to a four-year term, and she has two years left. This will only happen if there is an enormous outcry by the district to have her taken from office. I can assure you of that because I know her personally; she will never voluntarily give up her position. It’s all about power – never about the kids. I know that about her as a result of my dealings with her as a teacher and administrator and worked unsuccessfully to unseat her in the last election. She and her husband are power-hungry egomaniacs and the district would be so much better off without them. The only viable possibility might be for the new, incoming board to formally censure her, and perhaps to remove her as chair, but I’m not educated enough about the school board rules to know if this is feasible.
Deirdre says
She’s got to go! I heard once a school board can remove one of the members from office in a vote, we’ll see. The community would support it from what I can see, and that’s not just the demon sperm talking
Rob says
You guys asking for a tax refund due to less students attending on opening day during this are a joke. Everyone is doing the best they can and expenses are up. Are you really that daft?
Deirdre says
Teachers are working harder than ever to teach remotely and in person at the same time, using the extra equipment they need for remote teaching. They are spending money out of their own pockets to get supplies to send home for our students, because school budgets are so low as it is. If you’re not aware of what’s happening in schools and how hard people work, you could try volunteering so you’ll know where your tax dollars go. I’m not being sarcastic, schools really do appreciate volunteers and I would think you would better realize how that money is spent if you’re there.
Everyone is working twice as hard, not half as hard, and every year the budget is slashed more. In addition, this fairly small amount of tax money isn’t money for schools, it’s money for educating children. Many children these days in Palm Coast have limited resources at home as well, they need things such as free meals from the schools even when they’re not open.
Carry says
Great news that a judge reversed the order for all schools to be ooen for in person class! Now you can pull our students from this death trap. Someone please remove that crazy nut job smiling with her mouth open in the picture above from all school activity as she is a danger to all other living people.
Hanna says
Is there a reason the people in the picture above are not socially diatancing? And also does anyone see the adult standing near the studnets with her mask off? What is going on in this picture? Sad
Anthony A. Atheist says
What’s with the “[]” with NO MASK ON ? Let me guess, she believes the SKY GOD is going to keep the EVIL COVID-19 away from her….. Seriously ? WHY is this NUT CASE around children ?
Concerned Citizen says
All this uproar about kids in achool and who wears masks.
Where was all the concern tonight on the soccerfield at Roberts Rd. Large groups of adults sitting close in with each other. Kids hanging all over each other. And no masks to be seen and zero social distancing. Along with food truck serving whatever.
We either have a pandemic or not. It just doesn’t affect specific environments.
Batgirl says
Another poor example for the kids from the head of the school board. It is a shame that an act of ignorance by one person takes away from all of the others that did set a good example for the kids. This is a stressful time for all families, teachers and staff. Politics and personal wacko beliefs should not be a part of it. Health and safety should be number 1. She should not be allowed in the schools or near the children without a face mask. Thank you to everyone that made the first day of school a great experience for the kids. We appreciate you!!!
Real parent says
You know, all I read is a lot of hate.
We were all offered 3 options for school. If you chose to stay home Great, I am happy for you.
We chose to go back, leave us alone.
I finally saw the sparkle in my kids eyes again. My son came home today so engaged, happy and alive. My daughter hasn’t stopped smiling. She was happy to be doing homework. She saw her friends. The sparkle in her eyes and smile was back.
My kids were kids again.
Our children need to be in school. I am sorry your life is miserable, but please stop complaining about everything. Life is too short. Be happy.
mark101 says
School Board Chairman Janet McDonald has proven yet again that ignorance is present in our school system,. She is not a good example for the children she is leading or the teachers in this county. Maybe a dose of the virus will change her cocky attitude.
Edith Campins says
Ms. McDonald has once again demonstrated her arrogance, her total lack of respect for the community she is supposed to be serving, for the teachers, for the students. We need to vote her out for the safety of all.
School during pandemic says
This lady is a straight up nut job. Her Personal belief system does not supersede any child‘s or staff person’s safety and right to freedom from her germs.
She is sooo into it. Look at her. So proud in her ignorance. I believe her behavior has much more to do with her wanting attention (Narcissist) than anything else at all. And “lookie, you can’t tell me what to do.” She needs a full psyc eval STAT. Remove her from her position and put her some place where she is not a danger to others until we can vote her out.
People please vote in local elections and do your research before some one else like her slips through.
Who in Flagler County does she answer to if not the citizens? Suspend her due to putting children in harms way.