August 10, 2020
Dear North Royalton Community,
This past Thursday, after revised recommendations from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, we allowed our extracurricular activities, including fall sports, marching band and Royal Harmony, to continue in a modified phase where no more than nine students and a coach could work together at any one time.
For the past several days, I have been in discussion with our administrative team, Board of Education and surrounding districts about what is best for students regarding extracurricular offerings despite districts starting with remote instruction. The social/emotional well-being of our children in the North Royalton City Schools is of vital importance to all of us. Earlier this summer, we established strict protocols and phases that our athletic teams, band and Royal Harmony needed to follow in order to proceed with their activities. In keeping with these safety and health protocols, the District is resuming all fall athletics and extracurricular activities as they were prior to July 30. This means our North Royalton High School (NRHS) student-athletes will be able to resume practices as a team, band camp can begin, and Royal Harmony can practice. Our middle school athletic program will proceed in Phase 1 of the reopening guidance from the OHSAA as our NRHS student-athletes similarly did earlier this summer. This will begin on August 17 and go through August 28. We will reevaluate the next steps of the middle school program at that time. Please know all of this is subject to change in an instant depending on data we receive from the state and Board of Health. Coaches and directors will be in communication as to the details in the next few days.
Even though throughout Northeast Ohio many school districts are starting school remotely like we will, our common goal is to get students back in the classroom. Unfortunately, when we open our schools, we open them to hundreds of students in one building at one time which increases the risk factors for our students and staff. We continue to review the recommendations from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health on providing face-to-face instructional services to small groups of students, particularly those identified with special needs, and will work to implement structures for this in the coming weeks. Hopefully, when health conditions in our region improve, we will be able to continue bringing in more and more students until we are all together in our classrooms and school buildings.
We know the past few weeks have been a huge adjustment for our families, especially our students, with the uncertainty of what the opening of our school year will look like. I thank you for your patience, understanding and communications with me.
Thank you,
Greg Gurka
Superintendent
