Putnam Schools Asking State For Remote Learning Options For COVID Closures

Putnam Director of Schools Corby King said without options for remote learning, stockpile days will be used in the event of a COVID closure.

King said those days are usually depleted by weather alone, and any excess cancellations will be made up.

“As a group of Directors, we are asking the Governor, we are asking the state to allow some flexibility to use the continuous learning plan, but under current guidelines, it is just not an option that we have. So, the only thing we can do is use stockpile days.”

Continous learning plans were allowed last year and gave school systems the option to learn virtually in the event of a COVID closure. King said with current guidelines, the only remote learning Putnam has is the virtual school, which has a set enrollment.

“We can’t have an open enrollment type thing,” King said. “We have to assign staff and meet class room ratios. There is a lot of things that goes into a virtual school, and those positions are staffed and filled at the beginning of the year.”

King said if make up days are needed, it will likely affect spring break or extend the school year as a whole. King said it would be a decision that would come later in the school year.

“Those are decisions that we will likely not make until the spring to see if we actually exceed stockpile days,” King said. “If we do, we will start communicating when we would make up any days.”

King said the system would look at individual classrooms, grades or schools before deciding on a full district closure. King said right now, cases continue to rise at a county-wide level.