Virtual or in-person school? What to know about the Lowcountry’s reopening plans
Beaufort County School District officials expect to announce their full plan to reopen schools in the fall on Friday — and in the meantime, they’re asking parents to register their children for either in-person or virtual instruction.
In an email to parents, Superintendent Frank Rodriguez reaffirmed the district’s commitment to both in-person and virtual learning, announcing Friday that registration for both options would open Monday.
“We encourage you to register your child as soon as possible,” Rodriguez wrote. “Parents who register now will help school principals meet physical distancing requirements and safety protocols for face-to-face instruction.”
Rodriguez will also discuss reopening as part of this week’s school board meeting, which will take place Tuesday and Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m.
Community members can watch the meeting on the County Channel or sign up for public comments by emailing the board’s assistant at robyn.cushingberry@beaufort.k12.sc.us between 5 and 6 p.m. Tuesday with their name, phone number and topic.
What in-person school could look like
Though the district hasn’t announced its fall reopening plan yet, at a June 24 board meeting, Rodriguez and chief instructional services officer Mary Stratos provided school board members with some details on virtual learning plans for the fall.
Stratos told board members that the district is hoping to pair with K-12 Learning, a popular virtual curriculum provider for South Carolina’s charter schools, for the fall.
The district plans to begin a S.C. Virtual Franchise for high school credit-bearing courses.
The district also announced plans for in-person summer school instruction at that meeting, and though the start of summer school has since been delayed to a start date of July 20 or later, the cautionary measures the district had planned could resurface in the fall:
Classrooms would have a 10:1 ratio, and students and teachers would be required to wear masks (and face shields, in the case of teachers). Students would have to provide documentation for any medical conditions or doctor’s counsel to not wear a mask.
Classrooms would be arranged to maintain social distance, and will have sanitizing wipes and daily cleanings.
Buses would be limited to 50% capacity and one student or two siblings per seat. Buses would be sanitized between routes, and students would be supervised for social distancing at car pick-up lines and bus parking lots.
The summer programs would run from 7:39 a.m. to 11:39 a.m. Students would receive breakfast in classrooms and a bagged lunch to take home at the end of the day.
Parents were being asked to conduct wellness checks before sending students to school. Students would not be temperature-checked at the door. Students and staff would be asked to stay home if they are ill.
The questions parents have
Despite the superintendent’s intentions to announce reopening plans Friday, many parents still have suggestions and concerns for the fall semester after the abrupt shift to virtual learning in the spring.
Jodi Srutek, a co-founder of the school activist group STAND for Students, wrote several questions and recommendations for River Ridge Academy’s School Improvement Committee.
Among her recommendations: Extended sick leave policies for teachers; additional counselors, psychologists and SPED instructors to meet the needs of students with disabilities and/or individualized education plans; district-wide safety protocols for physical education, music classes and class changes; and disciplinary policies for mask-wearing.
Srutek, who is also running for the District 7 seat on the Beaufort County Council, said she’s waiting for the district’s Friday announcement to decide how her two children will attend River Ridge in the fall.
“I’m in a tough spot,” she said. “My youngest has some chronic health conditions, so I’m not eager to send her back to an in-person environment. But she also has some challenges that make virtual learning a poor fit for her. That’s the dilemma — trying to do what’s best when both options have some serious drawbacks.”
She also said she hoped employers were considering flexibility for working parents.
“A lot of us are now faced with the choice of, we can either keep our jobs or take care of our kids,” Srutek said. “We were scrambling in the spring, but we made it work for a few weeks. But now we might be off and on. There might be unexpected closures, temporarily.”
Monica Wiser, a Beaufort Elementary School parent and healthcare worker, said Monday that she was concerned about protections for teachers enforcing mask rules, air circulation in classrooms and the possibility of stipends to provide supervision for virtual learners.
“We know that taxpayers spend a great deal per child for some resources that will not be used by virtual students, and some of those funds will make it easier for families to make a decision to keep their child away from the school,” Wiser said. “This will also make classrooms more manageable for those who attend in person.”
What about Jasper, Savannah-Chatham schools?
Neighboring Jasper and Savannah-Chatham school districts are both also expected to update the public on their reopening plans this week.
The Jasper County school board will hear an update on fall reopening at its Tuesday evening meeting, and is expected to vote on the issue, according to spokesman Travis Washington.
Jasper superintendent Rechel Anderson announced on June 29 a “hybrid” fall reopening plan, with the caveat that the plan could change depending on the virus’ spread.
At that time, Jasper County was considered “medium-risk” for the spread of coronavirus in the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s weekly report on county-by-county risk.
Anderson said then that if that status changed to “high-risk,” as it had in Beaufort County, the district “will consider remote/virtual learning for all students.”
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System superintendent Ann Levett announced Friday that she would ask the school board to approve continuing virtual-only learning in the fall.
She also announced that she would seek a delay for the system’s Aug. 5 school start date, instead returning students to class on Aug. 19.
“As you can see, the (coronavirus case) numbers are continuing to increase,” Levett said Friday. “That makes face-to-face instruction, which is certainly our preference, undoable. We simply cannot do that and ensure safety for staff and students.”
Both recommendations will go before the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education at 2 p.m. Thursday for approval.