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BUCKHANNON -- The Upshur County Board of Education approved framework for re-entry of students during a special meeting -- two days after Governor Jim Justice moved the start of school to Sept. 8.
The framework was presented at a meeting of the board of education this week, but tabled so the board could hear from employees as well as see what might happen at the state level.
The framework consists of three options -- graduated re-entry which turns into a full five-day schedule with precautions in place, a modified option and full remote delivery.
Dr. Jeff Harvey, director of school safety and emergency preparedness, said, "What we have written up is a generalized framework to try to guide some more specific planning at each one of the school. The green colored column is our preferred option which is ultimately a graduated reentry that turns into a full five-day academic week certainly with precautions in place."
The middle column presents modified options for scenarios that could present themselves such as to temporary closure of an individual facility or multiple facilities to alternating schedules.
The red column is full remote delivery such as what occurred in the spring when the governor closed schools indefinitely.
"We felt this was a good way to present what was available to use and we also felt it was a good way to maintain maximum flexibility with the health department and state authorities," he said.
Because of the date for school being changed, this also meant changes to the school calendar.
The new framework keeps a graduated re-entry beginning on Sept. 8 with a transition day for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.
By Friday, Sept. 11, all grades will be in school.
Facilities director Tim Derico presented changes to the school calendar which involved moving the start date for teachers to Aug. 14 -- a day of training for teachers.
"That is largely because of the Apple initiative," he said. "We have Apple scheduled to train with our staff on Aug. 14. Apple training has been scheduled since March or April."
Staff would then work through August 25 and then come back on Sept. 8.
"Teachers in essence would work and then have a short break," he said. "We would still finish before Memorial Day for students."
Derico said the calendar protects a break for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but diminishes Spring Break to Good Friday only.
"That's being pretty creative and lenient with nontraditional days or what state is calling blended learning days at this juncture," he said.
Derico said the calendar modifications fulfil 180 days for students.
Board member Kristi Wilkerson asked, "So we are still mandated to have 180 days even with the pushback date?"
Derico said the direction from the state was "to try."
A modified calendar is on the next board meeting agenda, scheduled for July 21 at 7 p.m. at Buckhannon Academy Elementary School.
Board vice president Katie Loudin asked Harvey if the preferred operation is the green level.
"I think so many educators and parents have so many questions about the implementation of the green level with appropriate social distancing," she said. "How are they going to keep masks on their faces all day. Has the state given any guidance yet about what happens when a kid gets COVID or we know a class has been exposed to COVID? What happens both to the people in the class but also to the school? What is the threshold for action?"
Harvey said there is guidance coming from the state as well building administrators will be identifying places in each school where a student can be isolated if they develop symptoms at school.
Loudin also asked about what communication planning for parents would be.
Harvey said, "We have had many conversations about what overall messaging is going to be."
Once there is more feedback about start of school, Harvey said specific conversations could begin.
Wilkerson said she appreciated the staff and faculty who took time to answer the survey and asked for a breakdown of that.
Superintendent Dr. Sara Stankus said, there were 330 respondents, with the most responding from the high school.
"Our teachers want to get back to work and they really want to be in the classroom," she said. "Of course they are concerned about all the things that all of us are concerned about --the safety, the cleanliness, the PPE, everyone maintaining a safe distance, availability of testing for COVID-19."
Stankus said that Community Care which operates the school based health clinic has agreed to do rapid testing on site for employees.
Of note, 49 staff said they did not have reliable internet.
Jody Johnson, director of special programs, said she has been in contact with West Virginia Virtual School director.
"We are able to offer full virtual classes for kindergarten through 12th grade students who do not wish to attend the brick and mortar building," she said.
For those students, the school system will offer a device and a remote support teacher who will make contact with the student based on their grade level and what is needed.
Board president Dr. Tammy Samples said, "I'm in awe of how difficult these plans are. I'm so proud of the work our people have completed and their dedication to our students and employees."
Jeff Perkins, director of finance, gave a run-down of expenses related to COVID-19. The first 90 days with the additional equipment, supplies and custodial staff will run about $143,000.
Perkins said personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer dispensers for schools and buses and extra cleaning supplies make up about $50,000 of that.
Twelve additional custodians were factored in to allow one extra at each school as well as five extra to give flexibility at the facilities.
A grant was received to allow the school system to experiment with internet capability on buses and Perkins said that will allow two buses in the remote areas of the county to have internet where students may be able to do work on their long rides and would be able to use where the bus is parked for a hot spot.
The school system received just over $1 million to offset COVID-19 cases and put the majority of that towards the one-to-one device where each student will be issued an Apple iPad to use at home this year.
"We don't have any indication there will be additional funding and we haven't exceeded that $1 million," Perkins said.