INDIANAPOLIS — The recent surge in COVID-19 cases forced all Marion County schools to switch to virtual learning Monday, following the Thanksgiving holiday.
While there are now more supervised e-learning sites for students, there are still waiting lists for families in need of "free" sites.
The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based non-profit, is one of several groups providing e-learning sites.
Last month, after the Marion County Health Department announced schools would have to switch to virtual learning starting Nov. 30, The Mind Trust doubled the number of the free sites it funds from 11 to 22.
It has since added another site; Clarence Farrington Elementary on the city's northwest side. In total, the 23 sites can accommodate 850 students, but demand far exceeds that.
Ross Pippin, executive director of the Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School on the city's near east side, said while he's happy to see more sites opening, "it's unfortunate we don't have the resources to provide even more student support network locations."
Thomas Gregg and nearby Brookside Elementary are in an economically challenged part of the city. Pippin said there are a lot of working parents who can't take off and can't afford child care.
Starting Monday, 100 students from the two schools will take part in remote learning from classrooms at Brookside. The teachers at Brookside opted to work remotely from home.
"Students will participate with their classroom teacher, just virtually," Pippin said.
It's not the school, but community partners, in this case the John Boner Community Center, that's providing the adult supervision.
Pippin said roughly 500 students typically attend Brookside, so classrooms will allow for 5-10 socially distanced students.
He said using a school as an e-learning site is ideal.
"The restrooms are appropriate, the classrooms have the right desks and chairs, technology is available, the WiFi and connectivity is good and strong," Pippin said.
Unfortunately, the program is capped at 100 children and it's already full.
In fact, a spokesperson for The Mind Trust said most of the sites are at or near capacity with waiting lists.
The Mind Trust is in the process of applying for grants to fund more sites and to keep existing ones going as long as needed, which could well run past the health departments current Jan. 15 end date.
