August school restart dates on agenda tonight

County school officials are looking at either Aug. 10 or Aug. 17 for the reopening of schools.

In a July 14 message to parents and guardians, Superintendent Haydee Robinson explained that the school board aims to make a final decision on the start date and other reopening plans at its meeting tonight.

The proposed reopening plan includes the following:

• A hybrid of face-to-face instruction and remote learning.

• A total remote and virtual learning option for parents who may wish for their children to only participate in remote learning.

• Students who physically attend school will be divided into Cohort A and Cohort B. Cohort A students will attend school on Monday and Tuesday and will take part in remote learning Wednesday-Friday. Cohort B students will attend school on Thursday and Friday and will be in remote learning Monday-Wednesday,

• Wednesdays will be used as a teacher planning day and will provide the opportunity for staff members to work with small groups, work in remediation with students and perform other duties. Wednesdays will also be used as a "deep" cleaning day and for delivery of food to students.

• Schools will be dividing students into Cohort A and Cohort B and will place siblings in the same cohort to assist in transportation.

• Masks will be required for students and staff.

• Physical distance requirements of six feet or more will be followed as much as possible.

New instruction will be taught through Google Classroom, according to Robinson, and all students will receive Chromebooks. Video instruction on both platforms will be provided.

“As schools reopen, our focus is to identify our students’ academic gaps and provide instructional supports to decrease the learning gaps,” she wrote. “Our students with special needs who are served in self-contained classrooms may attend school four days a week with parental consent.”

OTHER MEETING DETAILS

The school board meeting convenes at 5 p.m. tonight in the Ridgeview Middle School auditorium.

Among other agenda items are:

• Discussion of virus-related emergency employee leave and the federal CARES Act.

• Discussion of language in employee contracts, and revision of a school system policy, related to furloughs.

• An update on the elementary school project and related litigation.

• A closed meeting to discuss personnel hirings, retirements, resignations and other personnel matters, along with further discussion of the litigation.