Hallways Present Social Distancing Challenges

As the 2020 school year began, the Milton Area High School administration has been working to enforce social distancing throughout all areas of the high school and district to keep faculty and students safe. 

“A part of that Health and Safety Plan is social distancing and what that should look like,” Co-Principal Mr. Michael Bergey said. 

As stated in the HSP, a new set of rules have been implemented to include social distancing guidelines. Mr. Bergey and Co-Principal Mr. Andrew Rantz said they, along with other administrators, have been working to accommodate social distancing in the high school.  

Mr. Bergey defines social distancing as the space between “you and other individuals.” He said that there are signs and circles on the floor to give students an idea of what six feet looks like and keeps hallway traffic moving in the right direction. 

In addition to the signs, the high school has also been doing staggered dismissals, Mr. Bergey said. The staggered dismissals are not ideal because there are students waiting outside of their classrooms, but it minimizes the amount of traffic in the hallways and maximizes the amount of social distancing, according to Mr. Bergey.  

The order of staggered dismissals was determined to avoid dismissing p0several classes in the same area at the same time, said Mr. Rantz. The classes that are dismissed at the same time are far from each other, according to Mr. Rantz.  

“There was no particular order picked; it was just grouping classes and then creating the staggered dismissal times,” said Mr. Rantz. 

Virtual learning has also minimized the number of people in the building at one time, Mr. Bergey said. According to a survey included in the HSP, 33 percent of district families and staff said that they prefer combination of online learning and in the school building. The HSP report said around 15 percent of families and staff prefer online learning with district teachers and 190 students attend the virtual academy. 

Social distancing outside is not enforced as much because the virus is not as “infectious” outdoors, Mr. Rantz said. Staff and administration aren’t as concerned about social distancing outside of the building because it is more out of their control, according to Mr. Rantz. 

 “I think you just see it more enforced indoors because in these four walls is what we can ultimately control the most,” said Mr. Rantz. 

Although students are doing a good job at following new guidelines, transition times in between classes are troubling, according to Mr. Bergey. There are currently no plans to change the staggering dismissal times because there are no other alternatives, said Mr. Rantz. 

“Even though I feel like we are doing a very good job of staggering dismissal times to minimize the amount of kids traveling in the hallways, it is rather difficult to ensure students are spaced six feet apart,” said Mr. Bergey.  

It is also hard to keep everyone following rules at all times because students want to socialize, according to Mr. Rantz. “I think the reason kids enjoy school and come to school on a very consistent basis is the social aspect,” he said. 

Mr. Bergey also said that the student body has done a good job at following new guidelines and rules. 

“I’m really proud of our kids,” said Mr. Bergey.