Teachers preparing online programs for students

McCOOK, Neb. — Although classes at McCook Public Schools have been suspended, that doesn’t mean teachers aren’t working.

Teachers and administrators in the district will spend the next three days creating online programs for their students, said McCook Schools Superintendent, Grant Norgaard.

“Nothing can replace the classroom experience, but this is something that can keep kids engaged, so there’s not as much learning regression,” he said on Monday.

The district is also looking at ways students without Internet can access the programs. “We’re asking our teachers to think very creatively and they’re working very hard,” he said.

Although no Covid-19 virus cases have been found in Red Willow or surrounding counties, McCook Public Schools were closed this week out of “an abundance of pre-caution,” Norgaard said. He said the decision came in response to the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control to limit gatherings to less than 50 people — now changed to 10 or less people by Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday — and also the number of students in the district who may have visited virus “hot spots” during spring break last week. These locations included high risk areas such as mission trips out of the county, cruises and ski trips. Students could be asymptomatic but still be spreading the virus unknowingly through social contact, something Norgaard said he didn’t want to risk.

Whether the district remains closed beyond March 20 is a decision that will made later this week, he said.

St. Patrick Catholic School in McCook was open Monday but is now closed for the rest of the week.