MONTMORENCY COUNTY — Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools are finally ready to welcome students back to class after the ice storm. Teachers and staff met today to discuss what the learning environment will look like.
“We have power back at school, but most of the community doesn’t yet. So, to have our students be required to come back to school is great,” Superintendent Katie Xenakis-Makowski said. “We’re going to bring them in. We’re going to take care of them. We’re going to provide a shower. We’re going to provide shelter. We’re going to provide food.”
Montmorency County is a part of the Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools and they have the highest child poverty rate in the state. Teachers are focusing on the students’ well-being first while also picking back where they left off. Superintendent Katie Xenakis-Makowski says teachers are ready to give their support.
“I know for them, checking in on those kids and seeing their faces and being able to give the hugs they give every day is going to be the most important.”
This past year, parts of the district had 15 snow days, and they’re now adding almost two more weeks without school, putting students behind.
“There will be gaps in the curriculum created by this disaster, and we will just have to roll with it and figure out where they are and get them to where they need to be.”
Xenakis-Makowski is asking for legislation in Lansing for forgiveness on school days and testing assessments. If the students have to make up the days missed they could be in school until the 4th of July. Xenakis-Makowski says it’s not fair to rank students experiencing a natural disaster on the same level as the rest of the state.
“So, when these kids are coming to us, the needs are significantly different. And you can go back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We need to fill those basics before we can ever hope to get above. So, we need some testing requirements changed, at least for this year, to make that happen and be fair to our kids, because in the end, we have to do what’s best for kids.”
Teachers and staff were welcomed back to school a day before students to prepare and assess who would be back in class. Many families are saying it will be a while before they get power back.
“Some of our families that we’ve spoken to today are reporting that they can’t just get their power back on, the storm ripped away the power poles from their house. That’s not on the power company, that’s on the homeowner.”
The Superintendent is telling parents to contact 211 to find the resources they need.