Putnam Schools Plan For Reopening

As Putnam County School officials begin planning for the next year, they have a tool to help to help cover every scenario.

Director of Schools Corby King said the Return to School Roadmap is a comprehensive plan assisting public schools facing uncertainty facing the new school year.

“Under each tab, there are things you do first,” King said. “We’ve already actually began and completed most of the ‘do first’ under each of those tabs. Then there’s a section that suggests you do certain things before school opens so that we are ready. We’ve been in that phase, and we’re still meeting weekly.”

The Roadmap has seven categories to help with planning. They include plans for school governance, operations, and technology.  King said Putnam County added another category for remote learning.

“If we’re in a scenario where a student has to miss two or three weeks because of a positive COVID test and they are quarantined by the Health Department,” King said, “We still want to provide educational opportunities and instruction for the student and their parents while they are out. When they return to school they will be ready. Or if we have to close for an extended period of time, we’re going to be able to roll out the remote learning plan much quicker than we did in the spring.”

The fact that the Roadmap is very detailed is what King said attracted him. With all the unknowns remaining, he said he wants to be ready for whatever awaits the system as it nears the first day of school.

“I just liked the format,” King said. “There’s lots of models out there that we looked at and everybody here at the Board considered. This was one that I felt was pretty thorough. It covers pretty much everything we’re going to need covered moving forward. It’s in sync with the state and the federal requirements we have to meet.”

King said his goal is to have a plan in place to begin classes in whatever way necessary. He said the state will have a big influence in how Tennessee schools will look in the fall.

“We’re trying to have everything in line to have students return in the fall, whatever that looks like,” King said. “We want to be ready. We hope to be back with normal staff, but everybody’s watching the news. The hard thing is, sitting in this chair, I feel like I should know all the answers. Right now, we just don’t have those. We’re somewhat at the mercy of the governor and what the state has happening.”

King said as of right now, the plan is to have schools open on schedule in July. With the unknowns, though, he said that plan could change.

“The plans are to have school starting July 30,” King said. “That’s just like is on the calendar. That would be our 10 o’clock day, and first full day would be July 31. We’re planning to be back in school and hoping to be back in school. I know numbers are still climbing in our community. That’s expected at least through the next couple of weeks I think. The numbers are expected to peak mid-June and start seeing a decline. If that does happen and we are able to return to school, that’s what we all want.”

King said he wants students and teachers to enjoy their summers and take a much needed break. He said school officials will keep the public updated on changes as they happen.