Assistant Superintendent John Lott explains how COVID-19 is impacting traditional homecoming activities in Levy County public schools.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Concerns related to COVID-19 will result in scaled-down versions of homecoming this year at Levy County’s three largest middle high schools.
Principals met as a group and decided there would be no homecoming parade at Bronson, Chiefland, or Williston. Homecoming activities at football games would be limited primarily to announcement of royalty and a drive around the stadium.
Traditional pre-homecoming events like the Pep Rally in Williston, Flight Night in Bronson, and the Pow Wow in Chiefland won’t take place this year.
“We will have scaled-down versions of what we have traditionally seen for homecoming games,” said Assistant Superintendent John Lott in Tuesday’s Levy County School Board meeting.
Lott said the Florida High School Athletic Association has reduced halftimes to 12 minutes, or about half the time allowed in previous years, which in itself limits what can be done with homecoming activities. The state reduced halftime to limit the number of minutes teams spent as a group with their coaches.
“We worked out a way to do the majority of that stuff before the game, maybe just do an announcement of king and queen without walking out and all the pageantry that goes with that,” Lott said.
Superintendent Jeff Edison said he hopes homecoming events can be rescheduled at a different time later in the year.
Lott said social distancing was a factor in eliminating most pre-homecoming game activities.
“We did talk about the Pow Pow, Flight Night, and the Pep Rally at Williston. We’re not doing that because of the trouble with social distancing. Instead, we’ll do something during the school day at school, “ Lott said.
School board members raised concerns about the loss of homecoming activities.
Bronson school board member Cameron Asbell said he received several calls from parents concerned about losing Flight Night and other homecoming traditions at BMHS.
“If we can all go to the football games following social distancing guidelines and all the rules, and the kids can be together at school all day, why can’t we follow those same guidelines for the powder puff game, pow wow and events like that,” he said.
Asbell said he understands concerns about the parade, but he said the events the principals are scaling down or eliminating are held outdoors.
“I went to the football game Friday and there were a lot more people there than we ever had at Flight Night,” he said. “I kind of agree with the parents who called me; if we can do all this, why can we still have that?”
Lott said principals made the decision.
“It wasn’t something we mandated, it was something every secondary principal together came up with the plan,” Lott responded. “They deal with investigations every day that we’re having.” He was referring to COVID-19 investigations and tracing students or faculty who had contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19.
School District official Kalee Wade, who is involved in much of the tracking of students and adults in the school system that may have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person, said it’s difficult to social distance on a homecoming float.
“If you get 50 football players on a float there’s no way to social distance on a float,” she said. “We’re trying to social distance in class as much as we can. We’ve spread desks out; we’re doing what we can.”
Chiefland Middle High School Principal Matt McClelland said his decision to limit homecoming activities was influenced by events at the school at the time the principals met as a group.
“When we were having that meeting, the day before we sent home 70 kids, so that’s where my mind was,” he said. “When we talked about the Pow Wow, in our auditorium the chairs are like this and we’ll pack that thing out. It’s impossible to spread people out.”
Cedar Key School is in a different situation than the other three high schools. The school traditionally holds homecoming during the basketball season in the gymnasium, usually in late January. The hope of medical officials around the nation is that a safe and reliable vaccine will be available by late this year or early next year. School Board member Chris Cowart said the other high schools could do something similar to Cedar Key this year.
School Board member Paige Brookins said she hates to lose the homecoming parade.
“I just think it’s sad not to have the parade, which is outside and spread out. We could make modifications, separate kids on the floats, spread them out, put that distance out; but I do understand the tracking, and that would be hard. But it is a shame,” she said. Brookins was referring to contact tracing if an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred after homecoming gatherings like the parade.
School Board member Brad Etheridge asked Lott if limiting homecoming activities was a school-based decision.
Lott responded that the middle-high school principals made the decision as a group.
Etheridge favored going forward with the parades and other homecoming activities.
“I got a senior in high school; we’re giving our opinions; I’ll give mine,” Etheridge said. “I think we should have a homecoming parade, powder puff. We have a big old huge street. You can stand 40 feet apart. If there’s a will, there’s a way. I just fear when we start cancelling things, then next year it would be just as easy if we didn’t carry on the tradition.”
He added, “We can use four trailers of football players and put them six feet apart. What I’m saying, there’s a way.”
“That’s right,” Brookins said.
The board took no official action.
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School Board of Levy County Regular Meeting September 10, 2020; Posted September 12, 2020
