News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Plans for the Pickett County Schools to return on August 5th are in the works.
Pickett County Director of Schools Diane Elder said if she made a decision today, school for Pickett County would start on time five days a week.
“We want them to get back into the routine of coming school and get back in the routine of learning to have some normalcy in their lives,” Elder said. “They have not been school, other then online, in five months.”
Elder said parents who have medically fragile children have the choice to do online classes for the year. Parents will also have to sign papers stating they understand the risk of attending school while coronavirus is a threat. Teachers will be asked to remove all nonessential items from their classrooms to allow students to social distance.
“I have not talked to one parent that does not want to go back,” Elder said. “All the parents I see have not said ‘I hope we do not go back.’ They all want to go back.”
The online classes will not be optional if a parent decides a student should stay at home. Elder said normal attendance and grades would be taken regularly. Students taking online classes will still count towards Pickett County Schools population and Basic Education Program funds.
Pickett County Schools will screen students when entering and leaving the building. Elder said the schools have already ordered the sanitizing products required to clean while students are out of the building.
During Monday’s Board of Education meeting, the entire board collectively agreed students need to return to class. Elder will present a plan of returning to school to the Board of Education in July’s meeting.
