MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Dozens of school districts across Ohio have decided to go remote after the recent COVID-19 surge while others have decided to continue in-person classes.

One southwest Ohio teacher is doing all she can in hopes of keeping herself and her students safe  while teaching face-to-face.

What You Need To Know

  • Dozens of school districts across Ohio are going remote due to the surge of COVID-19

  • Some school districts, like Middletown City Schools, are continuing in-person learning

  • The school district is requiring everyone to wear masks up until Jan. 25

  • Teachers who are still teaching in the classrooms are coming up with different ways to better connect with their students and taking extra precautionary measures to protect themselves and students

Celine Thomas is an English and language arts teacher at Middletown High School. Middletown City Schools is one of several school districts in Butler County keeping its doors open, but it’s requiring everyone to stay masked up until Jan. 25.  

“I feel like this is just an additional step that makes sense, and it’s mandatory to make sure students and staff are aware that cases are rising and we need to make sure that those extra steps are being considered,” said Thomas.

Data from Public Health Butler County as of Dec. 25 shows there were more than 406 cases per 100,000 people over seven days. That’s considered high spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thomas said she’s doing all she can to help lower the rates, such as spreading out the desks in her classroom.

“Making sure that I have extra masks and everything in the classroom,” she said. “I also have personal sanitizer. The school also provides sanitizer in everyone’s classrooms.”

But even with all the extra measures, Thomas said teaching during the pandemic has been a challenge. One of those challenges, she said, is the lack of one-on-one communication. 

“Sometimes it’s a little bit harder to put students in groups or being right up on students, having that extra close interaction that we're so used to having,” she said.

And while she may be challenged with coming up with safer methods of communication with her students, one thing's for sure: she at least feels more protected from the virus and she thanks the school district for that.

“I already got my shots as they’ve rolled out on time. We were one of the first school districts to get the vaccine,” she said.

And as Thomas takes on the remainder of the school year, she said she feels well equipped to do her job.

“I feel safe enough to be able to teach with the students and as far as procedures go I really feel like we’re in a good space to make sure students are able to come back,” she said.

The largest school district in southwest Ohio is continuing with in-person learning for now. But due to staffing shortages, two of Cincinnati's Public Schools have moved to remote learning.

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