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ELKINS -- Randolph County Schools officials have been working to create a plan for students during the governor's state-wide closure of schools in response to the threat of COVID-19.
Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday all schools in West Virginia would be closed "indefinitely" because of the potential threat of the coronavirus.
Debbie Schmidlen, RCS superintendent, told The Inter-Mountain Monday that schools will be closed to students until March 27.
"We are really trying to focus on week one, getting through week one, until we can see how this progresses," she said. "The plan is to keep kids out until the 27th and then re-evaluate and re-assess the situation and make another decision."
According to the West Virginia Department of Education, the Office of Child Nutrition has worked with all 55 counties to open sites to feed children this week.
Schmidlen said meals will be delivered to students beginning today. Busses will operate on a two-hour delay schedule, stopping at all regular pick-up locations to distribute bagged meals.
"What we're going to do is operate on a two-hour delay, so bus drivers will report to the school that they go to first. For example, if the bus stops at Elkins Middle School first, they will go there to pick up their food. At that time, there will be one, or two, employees who have volunteered to ride the bus to distribute meals," she explained.
Two meals -- breakfast and lunch -- will be offered to students; these meals may include a sandwich, vegetable, fruit, chips and milk or juice.
"We will deliver breakfast and lunch at the same time," Schmidlen said. "We will have coolers on the bus that will hold milk and juice."
Schmidlen emphasized RCS staff has been "phenomenal," adding she is "grateful" for the Tygarts Valley Lions Club's donation of coolers that will be used store bagged lunches on buses.
"Any school that did not have enough coolers, the Tygarts Valley Lions Club brought 20 coolers to the board office today to be distributed amongst schools that needed them on each bus," she said.
"Our cooks have reported and are on board, our bus operators are on board, our service personnel were phenomenal (Monday), and I was so grateful that some of our teachers were able to come out and help as well. It's overwhelming, we have great employees."
If you are unsure of a bus stop near you, you may call the Board of Education transportation department at 304-636-9150 extension 114 or the school in your area and ask for the closest bus stop to you.
Your child does not have to be an enrolled bus rider in order to receive these meals.Beginning Thursday, students will be required to complete snow packets -- prepared lessons, activities and instructional material -- for each of their classes.
"The plan is for packets to start on Thursday -- students will start completing those on Thursday when our teachers are back in the building," Schmidlen said. "Teachers are -- right now and will continue the rest of the week -- preparing an additional five packets for five additional days of instruction. There will be 10 total packets available."
At this time, snow day packets will begin on Thursday and will continue through Friday for Randolph County:
Thursday -- Snow packet No. 1
Friday -- Snow packet No. 2
Additional information regarding packets will be released as it is made available.