INDIANAPOLIS — As schools across the state remain closed through at least May 1, families and school districts are adjusting. They are trying to make sure students are still getting their education from home.
The superintendent in Wayne Township said they are facing some challenges when it comes to e-learning because they've never done it before. Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts said the best way for students to learn is with teachers in the classroom. Right now, the district is taking things day-by-day as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.
LEARN MORE | Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township's COVID-19 response plan
Stout Field Elementary School sixth-grader Lindsey Sterrett is video chatting with teachers from her kitchen table.
"At the beginning of the week it was difficult for me because it's all new to me and I didn't really know where to go and what to do," Lindsey said.
With help from her mom and teachers, Lindsey is starting to figure it out.
"She's able to get online. They walk her step-by-step even if it's something they taught before," her mom Amber Sterrett said. "She just needs a refresher they walk her no problem."
Butts said the timing of schools closing is creating a challenge. He said some are viewing this week as an extra week of spring break and haven't even logged on.
"Just yesterday at Ben Davis High School we reached out to over 700 children who have not yet been logged in for the work that we are doing," Butts said.
According to Butts, around 11 percent of 6th-12th grade students don't have a way to connect to the internet.
"We have been working with Sprint, the 1Million Project to make sure we are getting Mi-Fi out," Butts said. "We expect to have several hundred of those arriving over the break that we can distribute to our students who don't have Wi-Fi access at home to be able to get connected with their teachers."
