MVCTC Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19

03/16/2020

On Monday, March 30, MVCTC will be moving to online learning until further notice. Recently, MVCTC received updated federal guidance that will allow us to provide services to students with IEP or 504 plans to the best of our abilities. There are still considerable challenges the district’s administrative team has been working through over the past few days, but we feel that we have a plan in place that will work.

MVCTC sent main campus students an email on Thursday, March 26, and asked them to share that information with their parents. In addition, a SchoolMessenger call was sent to all parents using the contact information on file.

If your child needs assistance with internet access or technology support, please email your career technical instructor and they will be back in touch with you. If you don’t have access to email, contact 937-854-6060 and leave a message. Please understand that this voice mail box is checked once daily through the week.

If your child has not submitted work within a week after it was due, their instructor will be reaching out to check on their progress.

MVCTC’s Community Service/Work requirement will be cancelled at this point in time due to a lack of safe and available community service opportunities during the state-mandated stay at home order. Depending on legislative decisions, this requirement could be modified to meet adjusted graduation requirements.

Q: When are my online assignments due?

A: Effective immediately, all online assignments will be due at 9am on the Tuesday of the week following when they were originally assigned, unless noted otherwise by the instructor. The day was changed from Monday to Tuesday to allow students more time to complete the assignment and email instructors with questions about the assignment. As a reminder, please do not procrastinate until the last day to submit assignments. Allow ample time for issues with technology, questions and clarifications from the instructor, and other barriers that may come up.

Q: When will students return to school?

A: On 4/20/2020, Gov. DeWine announced that all public Ohio schools will stay closed for the remainder of the school year and that online learning will continue until the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Q: When will the Class of 2022 learn if they have been accepted for the next school year?

A: MVCTC has sent out acceptance letters for the Class of 2022. The 2020-2021 application status letters will be mailed directly to incoming juniors' homes on Tuesday, April 7.

Q: My child is a senior who still has money on their lunch account. Who do I contact about a refund?

A: Please contact Barb Uhls at 937-832-5061 or email her at buhls@northmontschools.net

Q: My son/daughter is a junior who applied for the Apprenticeship program. When will he/she hear if he/she has been accepted into the program?

A: Students will be notified May 11, by our Apprenticeship Coordinator, Mr. Robert Ewry. If you have specific questions about the program, please contact Mr. Ewry at rewry@mvctc.com.

Q: Once our Seniors receive their HS diploma will they be considered “adults” eligible for “adult education”?

A: Yes, once a student completes his/her high school diploma, they are eligible for adult education. Each Ohio Technical Center (OTC) offers programs that students can take. MVCTC offers scholarship opportunities to students who matriculate from MVCTC’s high school programs to the adult education division. Please visit MVCTC’s Adult Education website for more details.

Q: My child is in a MVCTC program that earns an industry credential. Will they still be able to earn the credential?

A: MVCTC is doing its best to ensure that each student has the opportunity to earn the credential related to their program. Please know that the Class of 2020 is our main focus right now and we are working diligently to ensure they can still be eligible for the credentials they have been working towards. With that said, it is also important for parents and students to realize that some credentials, such as Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, State Board of Cosmetology, State Board of Nursing, etc. requirements for program completion, are not in MVCTC’s control.

Q: When will my child be able to pick up their personal items at MVCTC?

A: Eventually, there will be multiple days when MVCTC’s campus will be open for students and staff to retrieve personal items. The district is required to wait until the stay at home order is lifted and will then open campus on certain days for students to pick up any additional items they left. Once the district knows when the stay at home order has been lifted, we will inform students, parents, and staff of the dates and times.

Q: How can students receive assistance with paying their MVCTC School Fees?

A: If you and your family are currently facing any hardships and need assistance paying school fees, please use the link below and have your parent/guardian help you fill out the application. The deadline to submit an application for assistance is April 24th. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your MVCTC School Counselor. Assistance is available through the MVCTC Education Foundation which is a charitable nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was created and sustained by donations from MVCTC staff and stakeholders. http://www.mvctc.com/education-foundation/application

Q: Will MVCTC offer summer camps this year?

A: No. With the barriers created by COVID-19 and the recent extension of the school closure and stay at home order by Governor DeWine, MVCTC will not have the time and resources to offer summer camps this year.

Q: Will senior students be able to graduate?

A: Local school boards were recently granted the authority to grant diplomas to high school seniors who were on track to graduate or complete their IEP prior to school closure. While MVCTC does not issue diplomas, we will continue to review students' progress and will report to our partner districts this information so they are able to make decisions regarding graduation. As always, our counselors are available to answer questions on whether your student is on track for graduation.

Q: Governor DeWine has requested donations of medical and cleaning supplies. How has MVCTC responded?

A: MVCTC has been donating medical/cleaning supplies since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak to our county Emergency Management Agencies. We have distributed the supplies to each county. The EMAs then distribute the supplies to those institutions in each county that have the greatest need. This has included more than 50,000 gloves, institutional cleaning supplies, N-95 and other masks, eye protection, surgical gowns, face masks, pallets of bottled water, and other essential supplies needed by our front line healthcare workers.

Q: My child has a technology issue. Who should they contact?

A: The student should email their career technical instructor for assistance with technology issues. If more intervention is needed, the instructor will assist the student by connecting them to the appropriate technology staff member.

Q: Will class time be made up during the summer or is it possible that the school year would be extended?

A: The length of the school year is determined by the Ohio Legislature; we expect they will provide an answer to this question in the near future.

Q: What about programs with minimum hours for licensure/certification such as Aviation Maintenance, Cosmetology, etc.?

A: Students enrolled in programs that require a minimum number of hours to meet a Federal or State requirement, such as Aviation Maintenance, Cosmetology, etc., will be updated on any changes to these requirements or deadlines as the district is informed by the governing entity. MVCTC does not have any influence in determining the hour minimums or other established requirements set by these entities.

Q: What about students who are involved with Advanced Placement, Internships, or Pre-Apprenticeship?

A: Some students have scheduled advanced placement, internships or pre-apprenticeship during the closure. Students involved in advanced placement, pre-apprenticeship and internships are able to be at their employer and need to contact them directly. This is purely a decision between the employer and the student/parent.

Q: What about Senior Work Experience for the Class of 2020?

A: Until further notice, do not pursue any hours for the Community Services portion of the Senior Work Experience.

Q: What if my child is enrolled in a CCP course through MVCTC and college partners such as Clark State, Edison State, Sinclair, etc.?

If your child is enrolled directly through the college, you will need to follow that institution’s plan for completing college coursework. This includes online classes where students are supervised by Mrs. Retman or classes that are taken outside of the MVCTC school day. Please check each individual institution’s website for specific details.

If your child is enrolled in a CCP course taught on MVCTC’s campus by a MVCTC staff member, instruction resumed when MVCTC began online instruction on March 30. MVCTC CCP instructors have coordinated with their college departments to assure that the courses will be completed and that students can earn college credit. Students should refer all questions regarding current CCP courses to their CCP instructor.

Q: Are the student fees being adjusted during the COVID-19 closure?

No, the fees at MVCTC are charged for specific tangible items that the student has already received and used in their program.

Q: Can I continue to make payments toward student fees?

Yes, we encourage parents to pay student fees during the closure, if possible. Payments can be made online through EZPay. To access EZPay, please visit http://www.mvctc.com/fees and select “Pay Fees”. Upon being transferred to EZPay, if you have not already, you will need to create an account with the student’s ID number. If you have questions regarding student fees, please contact the MVCTC Accounts Receivable Specialist, Sharon Bergman, by email at sbergman@mvctc.com or by phone at (937) 854-6286. If contacting by phone, please be sure to leave a detailed voice message.

Q: What about mental health services?

A: Currently, our partner, Samaritan Behavioral Health, is developing a plan to provide tele-therapy. For the time being, you may email your MVCTC school counselor or contact therapists, Adisa Bagamba at 937-654-6971 or Kendra Kelley at 937-474-4218. Samaritan Behavioral and Montgomery County are utilizing the “my Strength” app to help students overcome the challenges they may face. Sign up at www.mystrength.com or download the app with the App Store or Google Play. Check your MVCTC email address for the access code. Should you have an emergency or immediate concern please contact Crisiscare at 937-224-4646.

Q: Are MVCTC facilities available to outside groups?

A: Because the buildings are closed, meetings and activities scheduled by outside groups during that time are canceled until further notice. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope that groups understand the unusual situation occurring across the State of Ohio.

Q: How is MVCTC making decisions?

A: We continue to monitor and follow the guidance from the Montgomery County Board of Health, Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. In addition, many of our recent decisions have been related to Governor Mike DeWine’s recent declaration that all schools in Ohio close.

Q: Are we still holding after-school events at MVCTC?

A: Until further notice and in response to Governor DeWine’s emergency order and the Ohio Department of Health recommendations to limit social contact, we have suspended all after-school events. This includes field trips, competitions, etc. We will evaluate opportunities to reschedule events in the coming weeks.

Q: What about school-sponsored trips?

A: At this time, we have canceled all school-sponsored trips, both in and out-of-state until further notice.

Q: What will happen to MVCTC’s Prom?

Because of the Governor’s declaration to close schools, MVCTC’s Prom has been canceled. It MAY be rescheduled, but that depends on many other factors that must yet be determined. Understand that if the closure period is extended, there will not be an opportunity to reschedule Prom for this school year.

Q: What will staff be doing during the closure?

A: In order to protect MVCTC staff members to the best of our ability, the district has identified essential staff that will be on campus as needed. Staff working from home will be answering emails, developing online lessons that could be used if a longer closure period is announced, finalizing grades, refining lesson plans, developing new activities and laboratory experiences, reading professional journals, entering data and taking some phone calls.

Q: What about MVCTC Adult Education Programs?

A: Visit http://www.mvctc.com/ae for updates on Adult Education programming.

Q: What if I have a question that is not answered in this FAQ document?

A: Please email Questions@MVCTC.com.

Q: Where can I find out more information about COVID-19?

A: The Ohio Department of Health has opened a call center to answer questions regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19). The call center will be open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and can be reached at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

Recent Articles

03/26/2020