Warren School System Keeps Four-Day In-Person Schedule

The Warren County School System will not return to a 5-day in-person schedule.

Director of Schools Grant Swallows said he anticipates finishing the year with schools in-person four days a week. Swallows said this is not the preferred method for learning but the system still have roughly 800 students fully virtual.

“Many of our teachers are teaching virtually and in-person,” Swallows said. “We feel like that in our current format, if we were to go back five days a week that would take away valuable planning and communication time for our teachers for those students in the virtual environment.”

Swallows said teachers use Friday to prepare video instructions and hold virtual office hours with students. He said if changing schedules was being considered earlier in the year, it would be a different story.

“I think if this were Christmas and we had 18 more weeks to go, it would be a different conversation,” Swallows said. “I think at this point, we are where we need to be. Testing is coming up very soon and so, changing that format is just going to be tough for us right now.”

Swallows said it is hard to predict what virtual options will look like in the Fall. However, Swallows said he would like to see the system’s virtual instruction improve next year.

“What I would like to see in our county is the opportunity to put these virtual learners in their own system,” Swallows said. “Where I don’t have teachers doing both. If I can do that personnel wise, then I can localize and have teachers that are solely responsible responsible for remote learning. That gives us a chance for the other teachers to focus on those students that are in person.”

Warren County students can go in-person Monday through Thursday. Friday is fully virtual, while some staff does report to school for planning, sanitizing and creating lesson plans.