Our goal for the 2020-2021 school year is to provide in-person instruction for our students as much as possible. In an effort to be overly prepared, the district has different plans ready to go. We hope you will join Dr. Marschhausen as he announces these plans and takes questions through Zoom. These sessions will be held on July 7 and July 14, both at 6:30 pm.

There will also be an option for parents to choose an all online education through the Hilliard Schools Online Academy.

A FAQ page has been developed to help answer questions. We will update this page as guidance, requirements, and plans evolve; please check back often for the latest information.

We will post the zoom links here soon.

The Hilliard City School District has collaborated to develop a plan using guidance from the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the National Federation of High School Sports, and the Centers for Disease Control. While we are all excited to bring our athletes and coaches back together, we want to do so in the safest manner possible to ensure their wellbeing. 

High School Fall Sports

• Monday, June 22nd – Sunday, July 12th – Phase 2
  • Your pod will remain consistent throughout Phase 2
  • Inside spaces – Continue with pods of 9 athletes and 1 coach
  • Outside spaces – up to 50 people or 5 pods may gather for outdoor workouts
  • There should be a minimum distance of 6 feet between each individual at all times both indoor and outdoor
  • All athletic equipment, including balls, should be cleaned intermittently during practices and between practices/sessions
• Monday, June 29th – Sunday, July 5th: Athletic Shutdown
• Monday, July 13^th – Tentative Start Date for Phase 3
  • Tentative start date for High School Fall Sports Phase 3, more details to come
  • Community Use of Middle School Baseball/Softball Fields may be used for practice only – no competition – must schedule through Building Use

Band

• Monday, June 22nd

High School Winter Sports

• Monday, June 22nd – Sunday, July 12^th – Phase 1
  • Follow Phase 1 Guidelines already in place
• Monday, June 29th – Sunday, July 5th: Athletic Shutdown
• Monday, July 13^th – Tentative Start Date for Phase 2
  • Tentative start date for High School Winter Sports Phase 2, more details to come

Middle School Fall Sports 

• Monday, July 6th – Friday, July 19^th – Phase 1
  • Follow Phase 1 Guidelines already in place

General Expectations

• Coaches and Athletes must complete the liability waiver prior to participation in any activities. These waivers can be found in final forms and on the athletic department web pages. You must submit the waiver through Final Forms prior to participating with your pod, or you can bring a hard-copy printed off the athletic web page.
• Screening questions and temperatures will be taken prior to entrances into the facility. If Athletes or Coaches answer yes to any questions, or have a temperature higher than 100.4, they will be immediately sent home and should contact their medical provider.
• Confirmed cases of COVID-19 will result in that pod of athletes/coach being shut down from all activity for fourteen days.
• There should be a minimum distance of 6 feet between each individual at all times.
• No spectators will be permitted at any practice, indoor or outdoor.
• No-touch rule is in effect – this includes high fives, huddles, or other close contact.
• There should be no shared athletic equipment between athletes.
• Coaches and Athletic Directors will clearly communicate where athletes should enter and exit for their practice time.

Athlete Expectations

• Athletes must complete the liability waiver prior to participation in any activities. These waivers can be found in final forms and on the athletic department web pages. You must submit the waiver through Final Forms prior to participating with your pod, or you can bring a hard-copy printed off the athletic web page.
• Athletes must be screened by the coach prior to participation in a workout.
• All athletes should bring their own water bottles, and water bottles should not be shared.
• All athletes should report to workouts in proper gear and immediately return home at the end of the workout.
• Athletes that arrive without water or not wearing appropriate attire will be sent home.
• Athletes are recommended to wear cloth face masks when not specifically in a drill/strenuous activity.

Coaching Expectations

• Coaches must complete the liability waiver prior to participation in any activities.
• Coaches must be screened prior to conducting the workout.
• You are required to wear cloth face masks.
• No whistles will be used.
• Violation of these guidelines will result in the suspension of your team’s practice during phase 1.

District Monitoring Procedures

• Each coach has a sign-in sheet that will be filled in for each practice.
• Each coach will take the temperature of their pod prior to entering the facility.
• Each coach will ask the questions on the sheet and note answers.
• Each coach will turn in their sheet to the head coach daily.
• Each head coach will turn in their sheets to AD daily.

External Groups

• During phase 1, external youth baseball and softball groups will be limited to Elementary baseball and softball fields – no High School or Middle School fields will be available during phase 1.
• Both the group organization and each individual participant must complete a waiver.
• You can begin to reserve fields by following the District’s Facility Rental

Several times a year, Superintendent John Marschhausen schedules time to have coffee with our community.  While Ohio is continuing to open up, he still wants to hear from the community in the safest possible venue.  On June 11 he hosted his first virtual chats.  There were many questions from our community members that we have put into an FAQ.  As we get more questions we will add those to the list.  If you don’t see your question on the list please send us a message. 

As we enter our summer break, our students’ mental health remains a top concern.  We want to be sure our students and families know there is help available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One tool is the Safe Schools Hotline.  This is a free and confidential option for our students to report threats of violence, illegal activity, or any activity they think can harm students or staff in our schools.  There is a toll-free number students can call or number they can text or a web page where they can report their concerns and talk to a trained mental health counselor.

800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359

800-418-6423 ext. 359

Text TIPS to 66746

The events of the week, from the senseless death of George Floyd to the unrest in our cities and country, have left us angry and heartbroken. As one of the largest school districts in Ohio, we have a responsibility to take action in times of crisis. We have an obligation to provide a place where every student is welcomed, respected, supported, and celebrated.

The Hilliard City School District is proud to announce the immediate formation of the Inclusivity & Justice Task Force. Mrs. Samantha Chatman, Principal at Alton Darby Elementary School, has been appointed by Dr. John Marschhausen, Superintendent, as the district’s Diversity and Inclusivity Coordinator. Mrs. Chatman will serve as Taskforce Chair. Taskforce members will be officially named at the Board of Education Meeting on June 15, 2020.

Our commitment to diversity in Hilliard doesn’t start now; this is an additional resource on our journey. The work of Mrs. Janet Monseur-Durr and Mrs. Sabine Canty has earned national and international acclaim. The United States Department of Homeland Security has recognized Hilliard’s diversity efforts as a model for schools and communities. Hilliard hosted Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and our school team was sent to Belgium to share our work and engage in dialogue.

“Today’s crisis demands new action. We live our values, our passion for growth, to embrace the complex work and create a better tomorrow,” shared Dr. Marschhausen. “We can’t wait. We must root out racism in our behavior and demand justice in our actions.”

“Racial injustice has plagued our country for hundreds of years. The time is now! The time for our Hilliard community to engage, to educate, to model, to break down barriers, and to change systems and policies that perpetuate racism,” said Mrs. Chatman.  “Together we will lead and do the work to end systematic racism.”

“The recent death of George Floyd has again shined the light on the problem of prejudice and racism.  As civic leaders we are called on to take action and lead in times of crisis,” said Mr. Abate, Board of Education President.  “The Hilliard Way has always been about building a strong community and now is the time for us to come together and model the way forward in eliminating racism and prejudice from our nation and community.”

We join with our city leaders and the Hilliard Division of Police in a commitment to open dialogue and purposeful action. Working together focused on improvement, we will make our schools and community a better place for everyone. The Hilliard City School District is also part of a larger Greater Columbus Community. We will seek input and support from The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio.