During the Laurel School Board’s monthly meeting Tuesday, July 14, the board approved the district’s recommendation to return to school utilizing a hybrid model. The district’s hybrid model calls for students to attend school two days a week and participate in at-home virtual learning the remaining three days.
“We know that children learn best when physically present in a classroom; however, we must put safety first during these uncertain times,” said Laurel School District Superintendent Dr. Toy L. Watts.
Administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders worked throughout the summer months preparing a plan that best suits the needs of the community.
“We understand that there will be challenges this upcoming school year, and we are asking everyone to work together to provide the best educational opportunities possible for our students,” said Watts.
Parents who are not comfortable in sending their children to school will have the option to enroll their children in at-home virtual learning only. All children must be enrolled in school, so one of the options must be selected. The district is waiting for guidance from the Mississippi Department of Education on how to take attendance for virtual school. The information and a parent request form will be added to the district website once guidance is received.
Each school in the district is currently working on assigning students to a Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday schedule for attending school in person. The schools will release that information before school begins. For those students assigned to attend school Monday and Tuesday, their first day of school is on Monday, August 10, 2020. For those assigned to Thursday and Friday, their first day of school is on Thursday, August 13, 2020. Wednesdays will be designated for small-group tutoring, professional development, online instruction, and deep cleaning of the facilities before the second group of students arrive on campus (Thursday-Friday group).
All employees and students are required to wear a mask, and the district is increasing cleaning efforts. Temperatures of every employee and student will be checked before entering the building, and staff members will be trained on spotting signs of COVID-19. Additionally, the schools will promote social distancing where possible.
The district’s bus occupancy will be decreased, which will increase the number of routes necessary to get students to school. The district is encouraging parents to drive students when possible to assist with further decreasing the number of students needing bus transportation. There will be no assemblies until further notice, and meals will be eaten in the classroom or in small groups in the cafeteria. On days students are receiving virtual instruction at home, a meal pick-up will be available to parents.
Board President James Hill thanked all who participated in developing the return-to-school plan and stated, “We are ahead of several districts in the state, and our plan is progressive.”
“We know there will be lots of questions, and some details are still in the works,” said Watts. “I invite everyone to visit www.laurelschools.org/updates and read the plan.”
The district is accepting parent questions via email to infor@laurelschools.org, and those will be added to the frequently asked questions section of the district’s updates web page.
“Please know that this plan is subject to change at any point throughout the school year as we receive guidance from state and federal officials,” said Watts. “We thank everyone for their patience as we work through these new processes, and we appreciate every member of our Tornado family.”
Lacey Slay contributed to this report.