Local schools are continuing to move in the direction of having students on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic as the Clarksdale and Coahoma County districts will move deeper into the hybrid model of learning next week.
Lee Academy has gone with the in-person model of learning throughout the year, but visitors are not permitted inside the building.
All three school systems are having students, faculty and staff take their temperatures as they come on campus.
Clarksdale
The Clarksdale Municipal School District is making the most adjustments of any school next week as it begins the hybrid model of learning.
All students had been going to school virtually for the first part of the 2020-21 academic year.
“We’re still going to offer virtual for some students, select students, but we’re scheduled to go hybrid on Nov. 2,” said CMSD superintendent Dr. Earl Joe Nelson.
Nelson said students will be in school Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and learn virtually on Wednesdays.
“We’re doing it every day, but we’re look at that Wednesday doing deep cleaning in the building,” Nelson said. “We’re in the process of training staff.”
Nelson said it is the second training session to make sure all of the buildings are properly sanitized.
“That’s going to be very important,” Nelson said.
The goal is to eventually have all students back in school later in the year, but Nelson said he wants to see how things go with the hybrid model of learning to make sure everyone is safe.
Nelson said there will be educational wraparound services during the summer to help students with mental health challenges. He is unsure how the district will handle things is there is still a COVID-19 pandemic going into the 2021-22 school year.
Much will depend on decisions the Mississippi Department of Education makes.
“As MDE is making changes, it’s a little premature now to say,” Nelson said.
Coahoma
Some Coahoma County School District students had been using the hybrid model of learning by attending school every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, while going to class virtually Wednesday and Friday.
Other students learned virtually, but CCSD superintendent Dr. Ilean Richards announced nearly everyone will be on the hybrid model Monday and going to school more days a week.
Kindergarteners through fourth-graders will attend school Mondays through Thursdays and learn online Fridays. Fifth-graders through high school seniors will attend school Mondays through Wednesdays and learn online Thursdays and Fridays.
“Basically, all of our students are back in school,” Richards said. “We have maybe 20 to 25 students that will remain 100 percent virtual due to doctors excuses and things of that sort, but everybody will be back in school starting Monday.”
Richards said it was more important to have the younger students in the classroom as much as possible and help them become independent learners.
“We’re trying to build that foundation,” she said. “Of course the upper children got the foundation before COVID-19.”
Looking ahead, if the MDE allows virtual learning during the 2021-22 school year, Richards said she would weigh the pros and cons.
“We have to operate under the guidance under the state department of education,” Richards said.
“I can’t tell you right now what we will do, but first we will have to get guidance from the state department of education.”
Richards said the goal is to do everything at a steady pace and everything has been made easier thanks to the cooperation of parents and students.
“We try to phase things in such a way that we can be cognizant of what is going on,” she said. “We are not rushing.”
Lee
With Lee Academy students on campus every day, temperatures are being taken every morning and head of school Rone Walker said that will be revisited following the holiday break.
“We made the decision to not let visitors in the building to keep all of our students and teachers safe,” Walker said. “We are excited about offering in person school. The less traffic we have in our building the better. We are able to know who comes in and out, therefore, if we were to have an outbreak or significant number of cases we would know exactly who has been in our building and we it would be easier to contact trace.”
Fans will be able to attend basketball games, but they are required to wear masks inside.
“We will ask that people wear masks inside,” Walker said. “We will also be sanitizing and continuing with all of our other policies in order to make sure we can continue to play basketball in a safe manner for our athletes and our fans.”
Adjustments to how everything is being handled could be made at any time.
“We revisit our plan constantly, we make adjustments when we receive guidance from the Mississippi Department of Health and the MAIS,” Walker said. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve so that we can continue to provide our students with in person learning and athletics.”
