On Thursday, July 16th, Jones Superintendent Carl Johnson released the preliminary back to school plan for the district. The plan was scheduled to be presented to the School Board on Monday, July 13, but the meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum. Several members of the school board were self-quarantined due to close contact with a COVID positive individual or were exhibiting their own personal symptoms. Out of an abundance of caution, the meeting was rescheduled to Monday, July 20 at 5:30 pm. The rescheduled meeting will be a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting. If you attend the meeting in-person, masks are required. The school board members will vote on Monday to determine the final plan for the district. Here are some highlights of the proposal:
- Two educational platforms will be offered (Traditional & Virtual)
- Masks will be required for all faculty and students over the age of 8 on buses and in buildings
- Daily temperature checks will be done at various points throughout the day
For the students participating in the traditional classroom, the district has also created plans for remote learning. Remote learning will come into play if a child has to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or should the district have to close a classroom or site due to the virus. During the start of the school year, teachers will train students to use the remote learning programs (Google Classroom and Seesaw). They will review the remote learning protocols with their students weekly, ensuring that the students will have a more seamless transition should remote learning become a necessity. Dr. Johnson expressed certainty that remote learning will be necessary this first semester, stating he will not be hesitant to close a classroom, an entire grade, or even a whole school site, should there be any sign of COVID-19 transmission within the school district.
You can review the school district’s full version of the proposed plan below:
The Jones Journal 