Westlake Schools To Begin Year Online Only

WESTLAKE, OH — The Westlake City Schools will begin the year online, the district announced Sunday.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health recently recommended all districts begin the year with remote-only education models due to the high rate of COVID-19 spread locally.

Westlake Schools Superintendent Scott Goggin said his district will follow these recommendations. However, he wants staff, students and families to be prepared to shift to in-person education quickly.

"Our goal has always been to open in some fashion. We are aware that the recommendation will likely not change prior to the start of school. However, if the recommendation changes, we will be ready to open with our Hybrid Plan. If it does not, we will be ready for virtual. Flexibility was key in our planning and we will be flexible as a district," Goggin said in a letter to families.

Goggin said he is "hesitant" to close the district for a quarter or whole semester. He hopes to move to a hybrid or "all-in" model during the first chunk of the school year.

"The Westlake City School District is more than a transaction of knowledge. It is a community where students, staff and parents connect for a shared experience. We value our whole child approach deeply and will open our doors when (or if) the recommendation changes and we can safely return to school, even if it is not at an academic benchmark such as a quarter or semester," Goggin said.

Extracurricular Activities

The county board of health also recommended the suspension of all extracurricular activities, including sports. The board argued such activities contribute to the rapid spread of COVID-19 among clusters of students.

Goggin said athletic teams and extracurricular activities will delay any further in-person practices.

"We will allow coaches to bring in small groups of students to continue to participate in strength and conditioning activities under controlled circumstances. This will help our students maintain their conditioning so when sports resume, they can safely compete. Detailed communication will be shared by our coaching staff in the coming days," Goggin said.

Band camp will also be delayed, the superintendent noted.

"As always, we appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we navigate through this pandemic together as a community with the goal of keeping everyone in Westlake safe and healthy," Goggin said.