ELKINS — Although students in Randolph County will continue to follow a blended in-person learning schedule for the month of November, county officials will be looking to find another alternative in the upcoming weeks.

During a special meeting Tuesday evening, Randolph County Schools Superintendent Debbie Schmidlen’s proposed school calendar for the month of November was approved in a 4-1 vote. This calendar will include days off for Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving break.

Despite the board’s approval of the proposed November calendar, several members noted their concerns to county administration, asking that they create and propose a calendar for December that encompasses a four day per week schedule for students.

Amanda Smith, board member, said she feels the board has been “bullied” into approving the November calendar because it was brought before the board for approval only one week before November.

Rachel Anger, board member, said she would like to see students return to school, adding the current schedule has been a “tremendous undertaking” for parents and students.

“I want our kids back four days a week,” Anger said. “(We) have too many kids that are first graders that hate going to school and are not progressing with their reading and math skills. It is heartbreaking to hear that a first grader hates school and they don’t like doing their work at home with their parents after their parents have worked a full day.

“This has been a tremendous undertaking for parents and students, but I want to set us up to succeed and not fail,” she continued. “I don’t know how the board feels about increasing mask wearing, but I feel like if we do move forward, we need to be stricter about mask wearing.”

Schmidlen said she has received many calls and emails from families who are “begging for help.”

“I have gotten more phone calls in the last two weeks than I ever have. I see a very clear picture — and I didn’t get it from teachers — I got it from parents and grandparents begging us for help,” Schmidlen said. “I feel like they are speaking loud and clear, I feel like our teachers are speaking loud and clear that they cannot continue that distant model in the manner in which we have asked them to do.”

Lisa Wamsley, board president, emphasized students receive the best quality education while in school.

“Hands down, I don’t think there is a person in this room that doesn’t agree that the students are going to get the best education when they are in school five days a week,” she said. “Educators are going to feel successful in helping their students learn, and board members know that that’s where they receive the very best learning.”

Although it was noted by administration and BOE members that a survey was distributed to staff and the responses were “split” with “differing opinions,” representatives from the American Federation of Teachers spoke in opposition of returning to school four days per week.

Kristie Skidmore, president of AFT-Randolph, said their organization requests that the county continue the current blended learning model, adding students will not be distanced from one another if the blended calendar does not continue.

“Hearing from members, and by my own observations, it is currently a struggle to distance students even just three feet from each other,” she said. “We know, and you know, that the (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends six feet, but sadly, three feet without masks has become acceptable because it seems to be the best that we can do right now.”

Another RCS employee, Ellen Fortney, emphasized she believes the county needs to continue the current blended model for “safety sake.”

“My colleagues and I are baffled as to why our state government doesn’t value our lives and our students’ lives as much as they did in March,” Fortney said. “We still need to social distance, we still need to wear our masks and to keep things clean so we can survive this and learn to live with it.”

Melodee Price, board member, praised Randolph County teachers for their efforts during the school year thus far.

In addition to (concerns) regarding student success and safety, (concerns) were raised regarding students who are “distant learners,” meaning students are not physically present at school, rather they engage in instruction via an online platform — such as Google Classrooms.

Janie Newlon, vice president of the board, said she believes many students have been going back and forth between in-person learning and distant learning, adding they either need to be “in or out.”

“I, personally, as one board member, recommend cutting off distant learning Jan. 22,” Newlon said.

Jan. 22 is the end of the first semester, officials noted.

Furthermore, several board members raised concerns regarding both in-person and distant learners struggling to maintain passing grades.

“There is too much failure,” Newlon said. “Nine out of 14 are failing (as) distant (learners), and that was told to me by a teacher. … Honestly, I think the distant learning for those kids has become a way to stay home.”

Fortney, an elementary level teacher, said she believes she and her colleagues have offered assistance to help with these issues.

“Distant students should be given two choices — either come back to regular school or go virtual through the state because teachers shouldn’t be expected to take care of (distant learners), too,” Fortney said. “If these things were also considered, it would be a great deal of help to us in getting work out and getting it back in and getting it graded. In response to the students forgetting to do their work and not having help at home, my only thought is we, as teachers, have provided every avenue we could think of for the student to get any help they need and to be successful with their work.”

Newlon added she would approve the Nov. calendar so teachers would have time to prepare, but said she believes students need to return to school.

“My proposal for the board, speaking for myself — I would like to go ahead with the November calendar because we are only giving the teachers one more day (Thursday) for grading,” she said. “But, really, consider, after Thanksgiving and the first week of December, to try our (best) to get the kids back in school four days a week.”

After a lengthy conversation centered around concerns and possibilities for the future, Schmidlen assured the board that she and her staff will work to create and propose two calendar options for December, consider ending distant learning and meet with primary and secondary principals to ensure all schools’ opinions are heard and taken into consideration.