By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
Elmore/Autauga News
Elmore County will be in a position to start school remotely on August 10th, but the date students can return to a physical campus is set to be announced later, Elmore School Superintendent Richard Dennis told the Board of Education on Thursday. There will also be opportunities for a blended curriculum.
On Friday morning, Alabama State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey said in a press conference that will be a difficult school year. “We are determined to do it – not because it’s easy, but we’re determined to do it because we have students who are counting on us,” he said.
Elmore County students will have the option to participate in the regular school program or through a virtual program at each of the base schools. The virtual option will allow those students who are uncomfortable during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue in attendance at their respective schools.
Dennis said he will be doing a video interview later that will answer questions the community may have and help it understand the expectations for personnel. The school system is also conducting a survey of parents and students to determine the number of students that intend to pursue a virtual-only curriculum and to identify any health concerns. This information is expected to go out on July 6th.
Mackey discussed other surveys that have been done so far and said that the answers have widely differed in some areas of the state. In some areas, 80 percent of the parents indicated they would keep students at home while in other areas the number has been around 15 percent.
He said the department distributed $200 million to local school systems to work through the issues caused by the COVID-19 health crisis. The state department also has been investing in devices, mobile hot spots Wi-Fi on school buses, and high-quality professional development for teachers on how to deliver a remote curriculum.
There will be a statewide digital curriculum that will still be taught by qualified teachers. Students will still be enrolled in their local schools, but may learn remotely, at school, or a blend of the two.
All Elmore County students will be issued a Chromebook at the beginning of the school year for use in class and at home. Students attending regular school will use Chromebooks and the grade level appropriate virtual platform which will be integrated into the daily curriculum
A new attendance policy and procedures will provide students the opportunity to be counted e-Present if they are at home sick by allowing them to continue course work on their Chromebooks using the virtual platform. Guidelines will be outlined in the Elmore County Student Handbook that will be posted on each school’s and the Board of Education websites.
When asked if students would be able to participate in extra-curricular activities in the fall, Mackey said yes, but they will look different. For example, there will be fewer people on the sidelines during football games and players will be socially distanced as much as possible. “If you aren’t coaching, you will be distancing,” he said.
Mackey said local jurisdictional rules will also apply. For example, if a team plays in a town that has a strict face mask policy, then everyone will be required to wear masks.
Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris said it is important that parents be the first line of defense for combating COVID-19. “The screening process begins at home,” he said. “Make sure you don’t put your children on the bus or drop them off if they have symptoms.”
At the Thursday Elmore BOE meeting, Cacye Davis, director the Child Nutrition Program, said that she has subscribed to software so that parents can order their children’s food online. She has also purchased equipment so that meals can be sealed, heated, and sent to the classrooms.
The State DOE also yesterday released a 50-page “roadmap” to education. There is also a shorter document on the same website that is designed for parents. (https://www.alsde.edu/)
Dennis said due to the COVID-19 crisis, there are changes to policies and procedures occurring weekly. “If changes to the school start date are determined to be necessary, you will be notified as soon as possible,” he said. “Regardless of the health level that Elmore County is under at the start of school, we will be able to begin instruction and meet the required recommendations and regulations. Notifications will be made as further directives are received from the ADPH and the ALSDE. Please continue to watch for notifications from Elmore County Public Schools as we navigate the “new normal” of the COVID-19 world.”
