News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Pickett County Schools will pause its LEAPS Program until November 30 after two instructors were placed in quarantine.
Over 50 students use this program designed to help kids who are falling behind in school and have problems connecting with other students. Tennessee Opportunity Programs Executive Director Leecia Walker said she worked with Pickett County on this decision to stop the program until after Thanksgiving.
“We just had two teachers that are quarantined and it’s just for people in their house,” Walker said. “We just want to take every safety precaution that we can to make sure the children are protected and after much discussion with Ms. Rebecca Wallin, who is the program director of that program currently, we just decided that was the best move.”
According to the Pickett County School System the two teachers did not test positive themselves. Walker said this program is important for both students and parents because of when it takes place.
“A lot of parents have to leave early in the morning and we start out at 6:45 AM, so they can drop their children off there and they get to go over the homework, they get a story read for them, sometimes they do projects,” Walker said. “In the afternoon, they’re there until 5:10 PM and they’re provided a snack after school, they get to do homework review if they have homework, we do different science projects.”
Walker said parents with students in the LEAPS program will be contacted if anything changes for the return date. Walker said family’s contact info should be on file.
“They have to fill out an application to actually get in the program,” Walker said. “When they do, we get that information from the parents of either email or if they want text messages or how they particularly want to be reached.”
This is a K-8 program for Pickett County Schools. LEAPS is also known as Lottery for Education After school Programs and is a grant based program.
