Gasconade County R-2 School District began its summer learning program on Tuesday with 327 students in attendance.

“This is both a remedial and enrichment summer school program,” said Kelley Rosemann, Owensville Middle School’s new assistant principal.

“Elementary and middle school is going over the standards that need to be covered again from the springtime,” Rosemann said.

The elementary school students are staying in one classroom throughout the day, but the middle and high school students are rotating classes.

“They are sanitizing and disinfecting every time a new class enters the classroom,” Rosemann said. “Today is the first day and they go until Aug. 14.”

While they had only been in class a couple of hours Tuesday morning, Rosemann said she felt they were doing well.

“We are making sure the kids are physically distanced six feet apart and taping lines for the kids,” she said. “Making sure they are safe and pre-screening before coming in.”

Students and teachers have been provided with a list of safety precautions and screening to do before they leave home and the school administrators will perform the screening before students enter their buildings.

“We are trying right now to keep a max of 17 kids per classroom,” Rosemann said. “That is our magic number to physical distance. If we have more or less, we will try to get another teacher in to keep class sizes down.”

Each building has the following number of students:

• Gerald Elementary School — 63 students.

• Owensville Elementary School — 91 students.

• Owensville Middle School — 49 students.

• Owensville High School — 124 students.

Rosemann said they can still accept students who would like to attend summer school, but they need to call as soon as possible. Also, even though the district is offering transportation, they already have their routes mapped out and seating assigned for social distancing.

“If they are further out than our routes, they would have to meet the bus,” Rosemann said. “Otherwise it is parent pickup and drop-off.”

Rosemann did say that the summer school program is a trial run on how the district can implement guidelines when school is back in session after Aug. 24.

“We have encouraged our teachers to follow the protocols and see how it is going to go and get feedback,” Rosemann said. “A trial run to see how things will go for the regular school year.”