Crestview’s Manley: ‘Every Day Together is a Blessing’

Matthew Manley, superintendent at Crestview Local Schools, is coming back strong. To learn more about the district, visit its website.

What are some ways your district is dealing with the effects of COVID-19?

We are in school daily. We shortened our in-person day by one hour so that teachers can work with their remote students. We have 75 percent of our students here daily and 25 percent working remotely. We have plexiglass, smaller classes, handwashing stations, masks and shields. We have reduced class sizes so that we can better distance students. We are rotating teachers to areas and limiting transitions. We have created one-way traffic in buildings. When students do transition, we use electrostatic sprayers before the new group comes in to disinfect rooms.  

What’s been the reaction from students and parents so far?

The students are overjoyed to be here. They have told me they will do whatever it takes to be in school. We have not had any complaints from parents about school thus far. Parents are nervous because our format can change based on the concentration of the virus. We are in school, but if we advance to “Level 3 Red,” we may have to switch to fully remote. This is tough for working parents. We are working on some daycare options to have available for that scenario.

What impact has the outbreak had on you personally?

I am so glad to have kids back. It was like being at Cedar Point in late November with the wind blowing last April and May. It was an empty feeling. This summer has been challenging with planning. We have so many situations to plan for and, yet, every day we still learn something new. I am blessed to have a strong administrative team, staff, board and community that has worked together on our planning. I am grateful for weekly meetings with the Columbiana County Health Department and our fellow superintendents in the county. We have many people working together to share ideas and best practices. There is no one correct answer. We just need to work together and take one situation at a time.  

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Have passion for our kids. Treat them with love and have some grace. These are uncharted waters. Please keep a sense of humor.  

Anything else you’d like to add?

Every day our students and staff are here is a blessing. We are going to do everything possible to keep us safely together. We cannot eliminate risk, but we can certainly decrease the risk of COVID-19.