BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Parents of students at Bowling Green City Schools rallied on Monday in hopes of making their voices heard to get their kids back in the buildings.
Right now, kids are taking classes online and some parents want that to change.
District parents showed up outside of the administrative offices in what they called a "Rally for Reopening," ahead of a Bowling Green City Schools Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.
The rally, they say, was held in response to a board meeting in mid-September that did not address re-evaluating their district's reopening transition from the virtual model.
"They're struggling with keeping up with the assignments. It's better than it was last year where they had no guidance from an instructor. They have face-to-face on-camera with the teacher, but it's not the same as being in the classroom," said Jeremy Prisk, one of the parents who had joined the rally.
The group of parents claim the board has not given families concrete plans for returning to school, and they are left with questions about reopening.
In response to their claims, Superintendent Francis Scruci said none of the district's reopening plans have changed since the school board approved all three types of learning models earlier this year.
Making a decision to go back to some form of in-person learning or to stay remote is not an easy one, he says.
He wants parents to know their board of education wants to have as much data and information before making a decision.
"No decision has been made. There's been a lot of discussion. There's been a lot of email communication. So, I guess all I've been asking for is a little bit more patience. You've got two more weeks of patience and things could change dramatically," said Scruci.
The district has a board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 29, but Scruci says no decision on a possible return will be made at that meeting.
In the meeting they will go over district data and COVID-19 numbers with the district's nurse and the Wood County Health Commissioner.
The superintendent says a vote to possibly go back to in-person learning will happen by Oct. 9, which is the deadline they had set during the summer.