Superintendent

Superintendent Steve Barrett

 

Return to Full In-Person Learning

February 25, 2021

To our Gahanna-Jefferson families, teachers and staff,

We are pleased to share that we are working hard to bring all hybrid students back to the classroom full time for a target date of March 15. As you can imagine, this will require a great deal of planning and coordination, especially when it comes to transportation, food service and building operations. If this date needs to be adjusted, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Under the guidance of medical professionals on our task force and our school nurses, we have tracked the virus in our schools, studied data, looked at research and talked with districts currently operating five days a week with in-person learning. We have learned there has been very little spread of COVID-19 in schools in Ohio and very little spread in Gahanna. Our task force also looked at academic failure rates and the mental health needs of our students and determined it was best to recommend a full return to in-person learning.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Whenever possible, we will maintain social distancing at 3 feet. There may be situations where students will not be 3 feet apart.
• Mask wearing, hand hygiene and deep cleaning remain essential to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
• We will continue to monitor the number of positive cases and quarantines.
• Mental health staff will be available to support students and families during the transition.
• Current distance learning students will continue with their current teachers/schedule.
• The district cannot accommodate distance learning students interested in returning to the full in-person model and those changes will no longer be permitted from this point forward.
• Hybrid learning students will be automatically enrolled in full in-person learning but may choose to opt out.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• If you are not comfortable having your child return to full in-person learning, please fill out the All-In Opt Out Form no later than Thursday, March 4 at midnight.
• We have a shortage of bus drivers, so please consider driving your child to school if you are able. It will help us reduce routes and enable us to allow for more physical distancing.
• If you or anyone you know would like to train to become a bus driver please email our Director of Human Resources, Shea Read at Reeds@gjps.org.
• Stay informed by visiting our GJPS COVID-19 Resource Center website. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school’s principal.

We thank our teachers and building leaders for their ongoing collaboration and their continued support of our students. All buildings have been meeting individually to brainstorm approaches and solutions to make our all-in return successful. Additionally, district leaders are engaging with GJEA leadership, and principals are meeting with teachers including union representatives to align our plans.

Thank you as well to our parents and students. We know this has been an incredibly difficult school year, and we truly appreciate your flexibility and support.

We look forward to welcoming you back. We are better together!

Sincerely,

Steve Barrett
Superintendent

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Steve Barrett
Superintendent

Twitter:
@SteveBarrett51

Kimberly Jonker
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Phone: (614) 471-7065 | Fax: 478-5568

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Jill Elliott
Assistant Superintendent

Diane Caulkins
Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent

 

 

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VISION, MISSION, AND BELIEFS

       

Please view our entire Vision, Mission, and Beliefs (PDF).

 

SNAPSHOT OF A GRADUATE

We are very proud of our graduates and the impact they have made at Gahanna Lincoln High School. Please enjoy these interviews from just a few of the 525 graduates from the Class of 2019 as they discuss their teachers, classes, proudest moments and advice for incoming freshmen.

Senior Interviews 2019

 

 

 

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QUALITY PROFILE

The Gahanna-Jefferson community places a high value on education and expects its schools to prepare students for success beyond the classroom. A well-rounded education goes beyond standardized tests, which is primarily what the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) measures with the annual school report cards. 

The purpose of this Quality Profile is to provide a complete story of how our schools perform in the areas that matter most to the Gahanna-Jefferson community.

The content of the Quality Profile is based on these five categories

• Academics
• The Arts, S.T.E.M & Technology
• Student Services
• Student Leadership & Activities
• Fiscal Stewardship 

GJPS Downloadable Quality Profile (PDF)