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Time Off Creates Challenges for Schools

Posted: Thursday, May 19th

By: Emily Finnegan

CAIRO -- Many students headed back to class for the first time this week, after flooding shut down schools across Southern Illinois.

At the height of the flooding, at least 10 school districts were closed. Students in Cairo returned to school Monday, after missing 13 days of class while the town was evacuated.

Administrators are taking the time off in stride, shuffling schedules to accommodate the changes, but they admit it is a challenge. This break is the longest stretch of unplanned time off many of them have ever seen. Unfortunately, it came in the middle of what is normally a very busy time of year.

"Getting the final grades in, getting the seniors done and getting our other kids, getting the final tests in on them," said High School Principal Mark McClintock.

One of those tests is the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state assessment given to all juniors. Superintendent Leotis Swopes explains Cairo had to reschedule the PSAE for this week, only two days after students came back.

"It's concerning because we haven't had the time to kind of build on the preparation that we had started prior to them having to leave school," he told News Three.

The district had no choice but to make the most of those two days.

"You get to what you can get to," said McClintock, "Do good reviewing with the students and then hopefully they'll do well on their tests."

Administrators are hoping for the best; the state uses those test scores to gauge student and district performance.

"If we do well, we look good. If we don't do well, we don't look so good," explained Swopes.

Both men insist there's reason to be positive. McClintock helped monitor the PSAE and credits his students' work ethic, despite the challenging circumstances.

"They were focused very well. And again, that was surprising. Usually when you're off like that, it's kind of like the beginning of school again," he said.

There are even more good signs pointing to the kids commitment. Some students attended class at other schools during the break. Most returned to Cairo this week, but a few will remain in the new district for the rest of the year. Since Cairo resumed classes, the high school has seen high attendance all week and zero behavior write-ups.

"It's all about expectations. As long as teachers and the principals show that there are expectations to be fulfilled, the kids will march to that order," said Swopes.