Jasper County schools will ‘stand behind’ virtual reopening, contradicting McMaster
Jasper County school officials are standing by their original decision to return to all-virtual instruction on Aug. 17, despite S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s edict Wednesday that every district must include an option for students to return to the classroom full time.
In a press conference less than two hours after McMaster’s announcement, Jasper County superintendent Rechel Anderson said she would “stand behind” the virtual-only plan, which will be sent to the state for approval this week. She added that the district has not had conversations with the state yet about its reopening plan.
“It is a very fluid plan, and it is a very thorough plan, it has been well thought and it does include all of our students’ best interests,” she said. “We are providing, as Gov. McMaster has asked, choice to our parents. Our choice, though, will be contingent on what is safe for our students and teachers, as well as our faculty and staff.”
McMaster also asked for schools to push their start date back to Sept. 8, which Anderson said the district was not considering “at all.”
The district had previously announced plans to offer both virtual and “hybrid” face-to-face classes starting Aug. 17, but changed plans once S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control designated Jasper County as “high-risk” for the spread of coronavirus.
The new reopening plan, recommended by Anderson and approved by the school board at its Tuesday meeting, was in line with the CDC and DHEC’s recommendations for high-risk counties to stick to virtual schooling.
State superintendent Molly Spearman was notably absent from McMaster’s Wednesday press conference, but sent out a statement as McMaster spoke saying that local leaders should make the decision about reopening schools and offer both in-person and virtual options.
“We cannot, however, turn a blind eye to the health and safety of our students and staff when the spread of the virus in some of our communities is among the highest in the world,” Spearman said.
As of Tuesday, Jasper County has 277 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and could have as many as 1,702 undiagnosed cases, DHEC officials say.
“I’m not in the business of playing Russian Roulette with anyone’s life, and that’s really what it feels (like),” Anderson said.
Jasper County’s virtual plan
While the district plans to start virtually, Anderson said Tuesday the district will phase in an option for hybrid instruction “when it is safe to do so,” and continue to offer virtual-only classes for those who feel uncomfortable returning to school.
The district announced last week it would postpone all sports practices “indefinitely.”
Anderson emphasized that virtual instruction “will be different moving forward” from what was offered in the spring.
According to a July 3 report from The State newspaper, the district lost contact with 11.1% of students during remote learning from March to June — one of the highest rates of no-contact in South Carolina.
In a statement to The State, Anderson said the spring closures were an “unplanned situation that abruptly interrupted the lives of our students, families and staff,” and that many of the non-responses from students were due to incorrect phone numbers, financial insecurity and difficulty with or lack of technology.
“You will have a well-planned model that we’ll use,” Anderson said. “Rigor will be present in everything that we do, and grading will be paramount.”
She told school board members that teachers will take daily attendance for classes, which will follow a schedule similar to a typical school day.
All kindergarten through 12th-grade students will receive an internet device from the district in a drive-through model, which did not happen in the spring, Anderson said. She also said the district will “make sure that our students have access to wifi,” though she did not offer specifics.
While school will still start on Aug. 17, some teachers and students will report back earlier than anticipated: Teachers will begin professional development and planning the week of Aug. 3-7, and pre-K through 8th-grade students will report to school in small groups or in a drive-through setup to take learning assessments.
Two Jasper County organizations will provide childcare for district students at school sites.
The Boys and Girls Club and Agape Family Life Center will provide childcare for district students, though spots will be limited.
The Boys and Girls Club will service students Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the West Hardeeville and Jasper County Alternative Program school campuses, and Agape Family Life Center will host 20 students from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The district will provide meals to both programs, and students will be required to bring their own headphones. More details will be posted on the district’s Facebook page, Anderson said.
Still unknown: The reopening plan for the Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence, which is run by both Jasper and Beaufort counties’ school districts.
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 10:18 AM.