By Abbey Hugo
(SNR) - Schools in the Diocese of Lincoln are preparing for what Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Matthew Hecker called the “single most challenging year to reopen schools.”
After ending the 2019-20 school year online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are determining how to resume classes in the fall, while ensuring the health and safety of all students and staff.
Hecker described reopening schools as a challenge with many layers of complexity. First and foremost, it is a public health concern. Therefore, medical and public health professionals are the most equipped to determine the best course of action. This is not an educator’s area of expertise.
“We have to rely extensively on people outside our schools to make decisions about our schools,” Hecker said. 
There is no unanimous agreement among medical personnel on what is the best course of action. There are also discrepancies in what different government officials recommend.
The circumstances vary greatly in different areas. It is a much larger concern in more heavily populated areas compared to rural areas. Plans for returning to school will be made on a school-by-school basis.
“We’re 30 schools, spread out over southern Nebraska. What applies in Lincoln is not necessarily the same situation in Falls City,” Hecker said. “So trying to make a policy — it doesn’t work. We have to rely on partnerships with our local public health departments.”
Administrators at each school are preparing by closely monitoring the situation, meeting with local health officials and communicating with other schools in their area. Each school is responsible for properly keeping its faculty, staff, parents and students informed.
Doug Goltz, chief administrative officer of Sacred Heart in Falls City said communication has been an important part of creating a plan that suits their community and its circumstances.
“Dating back to May, there have been many Zoom meetings with administrators working together to study the ever-changing guidance and work on their plans,” Goltz said. “There is a lot of collaborating. We are working on a plan that is for the community of Falls City. We are working jointly with Falls City Public Schools on a plan that best serves the students and teachers in Falls City and our entire community.”
All diocesan schools are currently scheduled to reopen in full session, but appropriate steps will be taken as necessary for the health and safety of faculty, staff and students.
All schools within Lincoln city limits will require faculty, staff and students to wear masks, as mandated by local Directed Health Measures. Examples of other potential safety practices include requiring students to sanitize hands upon entering the classroom, eliminating unnecessary assemblies and encouraging social distancing during free time.
Tom Korta, principal of Pius X High School in Lincoln, said he believes returning to school is the best option at this time, even with restrictions in place.
“The social aspect of school is going to change quite a bit. I feel very strongly that the academic piece is best served by having kids in school,” Korta said. “Even the social piece, though not perfect and not what they are accustomed to, is better than kids being at home and all of us being in our own little bunkers at home. I think this will be a better solution for our students.”
The Education Office has a contingency plan for returning to online learning if necessary at any time.
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“If there is a resurgence that necessitates the closure of schools, we have to be ready for it,” Dr. Hecker said. “Last spring, we got totally taken off guard by that. Nobody across the nation saw that coming, so we weren’t prepared. This fall, as we start school, we have to be prepared. We know that there is a real, distinct possibility that that could happen. We simply have to be better prepared if it does. The hope and prayer is that it doesn’t happen.”
Despite the many challenges Lincoln Diocese Catholic schools are facing at this time, Hecker is confident schools will make the best of the situation.
“The message I keep telling our schools is that this is a great challenge, but we also have a great opportunity to practice our mission as Catholic schools. While it’s challenging and difficult, it’s also this magnificent moment to be who we really are: the body of Christ for one another,” Hecker said. “That’s what Catholic schools do best. That’s why this is a great opportunity for us to shine.”
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