CADIZ — As the county continues to reside in the red category on the state’s color-coded COVID-19 map, Harrison Hills City School District will remain on a hybrid learning plan.

Dana Snider, superintendent of the district, said the schools will remain on the hybrid plan until the county’s status downgrades from Level 3 on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System.

“Our plan that the board adopted in August stated that if the county went red, the district would be hybrid so we’ll continue on that plan,” she said.

The district was hoping students and staff would return to the classroom five days a week following the school’s Christmas break; however, because Harrison County has not been downgraded on the system, the school will continue on with the hybrid plan.

The county moved to Level 3 on the COVID-19 risk assessment map for the first time Dec. 10 and has remained there since. Once the county moved to the more serious level, the district moved to the hybrid learning plan, which involves the students being split into two groups. Each group attends in-school instruction two days a week while the remaining days’ classes are held online.

Snider said Wednesday is a remote day for both groups with instruction offered through Google Meets. The school is thoroughly cleaned each Wednesday, she added.

Snider said she is hopeful the district will soon obtain vaccines for the coronavirus that will potentially allow staff and students to return to the classroom instruction.

“Harrison County (Health Department) is working on setting up dates for Harrison Hills staff members to receive a vaccination,” she said. “We’re hoping within the next 30 days to receive the vaccinations.”

The vaccine will be offered to anyone who is an employee of the school district, she said.

If the school’s teachers and staff are vaccinated for the virus then the district may consider returning to an in-class learning plan even if the county remains in the red category, Snider said.

“The board will reevaluate the whole situation if the vaccine comes first before the county is downgraded to orange or yellow. They’ll reevaluate if we have staff vaccinated,” she said.

In the meantime, the district will determine if classes remain hybrid weekly based on the advisory system.

Snider said she is grateful for the staff and community’s support in the matter.

“This is only the second week we’ve had to go hybrid. We’ve been five days in the classroom up until the week before Christmas, so we’ve done well this year and I appreciate everyone working together to make that possible,” she said.