The Warren County School Board last night unanimously approved the school year 2020-2021 reopening plan for Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, instituting both a hybrid model that provides a combination of in-school and virtual instruction and a full virtual instructional model.

What that means is students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade will begin attending school on August 27 for in-person instruction four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). On Wednesdays, all PreK-5 students will have virtual instruction. All students will receive laptops or tablets.

Fifth-grade students at E. Wilson Morrison, Hilda J. Barbour, and Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary Schools will report for in-person instruction at identified middle school buildings. Fifth-grade students at A. S. Rhodes and Ressie Jeffries Elementary Schools will continue at their own elementary schools. Classes will be taught by elementary teachers from their home schools.

For grades six through 12, students will attend in-person instruction one day per week and work remotely four days per week.

When receiving in-person instruction, each school day will consist of five and one-half hours of instruction at the elementary level and six hours at the secondary level. Specifically, in-person instruction will be provided from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for students attending E. Wilson Morrison, Leslie Fox Keyser, and Ressie Jeffries Elementary Schools. Students attending Hilda J. Barbour and A.S. Rhodes Elementary Schools will receive in-person instruction from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. High school and middle school students will attend in-person from 9 a.m. until 3:05 p.m.

WCPS Superintendent Chris Ballenger told School Board members during their Wednesday, August 5, regular meeting that bus transportation limitations were “a driving force” behind many of the scheduling decisions.

“We had to be creative with the schedule,” he said. “There was really no way we could increase the numbers on our buses in order to equalize when school started so we had to be flexible to make sure we could maximize the number of students that we could put on a bus and get them in the classrooms.”

Due to the nature of certifications within the programs offered through the Blue Ridge Technology Center (BRTC), Ballenger said that WCPS now is exploring various options for instruction.

Currently, it has been decided that year two and year three students will drive to BRTC on scheduled days. Year one students will be transported to BRTC on Wednesdays.

Mountain Vista Governor’s School begins online instruction on August 24 and will provide virtual instruction to all students for the first quarter.

Here is the WCPS schedule for in-person instruction:

Full virtual option available

Additionally, because some families may feel apprehensive concerning the opening of schools while there is no vaccine for COVID-19, Ballenger said that WCPS will offer a fully virtual option through each school site for all grades.

“This virtual option is available to all students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12,” according to the reopening plan. “Students will be assigned to a WCPS teacher and receive a learning device that will enable students to access the division’s learning management systems. Teachers will provide daily instruction via a learning management system so that students are provided quality instruction. Teachers will also assign daily/weekly lessons through the learning management system and support students through in-person and virtual meetings.”

Students who receive either the hybrid model of instruction or full-virtual students all will have access to new instruction, identification of instruction gaps, learning management systems, a laptop or tablet, and will remain eligible for participation in extracurricular activities, VHSL teams, and food services, said Ballenger.

Internet access variables

And while internet access continues to be a barrier for some families in Warren County, Ballenger said WCPS staff are working to provide potential solutions. Families who do not have internet access will receive their instruction through jump drives or packet-based instruction, he said.

“There was a lot that went into developing our reopening and instructional plan,” Ballenger said. “We had to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Department of Education.”

Additionally, WCPS had to take numerous items into consideration when developing its plan, including social distancing, face coverings, and daily health screenings for students and staff, among others, said Ballenger.

“As a division, we are going to recommend that students in grades six through 12 wear a face covering all day long – both students and teachers,” he said. “For elementary school students … we recommend that when they walk into the building or are in transition [in the hallways, for instance] that a face covering is on. But while the student is seated at their desk, they may be able to remove that face covering.”

Ballenger said WCPS also realizes there has been what is now being called “the COVID slide,” which relates to learning gaps that have developed during the last six months of pandemic quarantine, while also being concerned about students’ social-emotional learning and ongoing need for local, state and federal social services.

Nearly 3,360 parents responded to a recent WCPS survey on choosing an instructional model, while 498 staff members responded. In total, 60 percent of parents chose some type of in-person instruction, while 53 percent of staff opted for a virtual start to the 2020-2021 school year, said Ballenger.

Reopening details

According to the reopening plan, students in grades 6 through 12 are required to wear a face-covering at all times during the school day.

Students and staff must maintain the 10-feet of social distancing during physical education and recess. The mixing of different student groups will be avoided as much as possible. Playground equipment will not be used during recess at this time.

Temperature checks will be part of the daily routine. The temperatures of all staff, students, and visitors will be taken before entering the school building. Non-contact thermometers will be used at each location and school nurses will train personnel in temperature-taking procedures, as well as, what to do if the temperature is above 100.4°F.

All students will be required to complete work assignments and participate in class activities, regardless of hybrid or distance learning choice. Participation in school, no matter the mode of instruction, is required. Participation and attendance will be monitored.

Regarding student and parent technology support, Ballenger said that WCPS is developing a one-to-one initiative for all students PreK through grade 12 to have technology devices for home instruction.

“As we move to the possibility of virtual instruction for students, support for families will be necessary,” according to the plan details. “Our technology staff is in the process of developing online modules to help families understand the division’s Learning Management Systems (LMS), as well as the operation of the devices.”

Ballenger said that schools also will plan “Technology Sessions” so parents may meet in small groups to have hands-on training. In addition to learning how to operate the devices, parents will learn how to communicate with school staff using the LMS.

Special education services for students with disabilities may include increased time for face-to-face learning or/and direct instruction, as determined by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Instructional delivery will be designed to ensure the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) as required by their IEP and IEP teams will review individual student data to determine the need for supplemental instruction. Students will continue to receive access to instructional materials for use at home, as needed, including assistive technology tools.

Solutions for childcare and after-school care are currently being explored, Ballenger said.

Transportation guidelines

Transportation face coverings are required for students to ride on the bus and parents and guardians should not send their children to their bus stop if a child has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or feels ill. “This will lessen the chances of an entire busload of children and bus driver being put at risk,” Ballenger said, noting that parents also should discuss bust stop social distancing with their children.

If a student refuses to wear a mask, Ballenger said that student will not be allowed to use the bus for transportation to school.

When the bus arrives at the bus stop, students must enter one at a time and load to the back of the bus first; vice versa once the bus gets to the school, where students will be unloaded or loaded one bus at a time.

Each bus will have a seating arrangement and students will sit in the same seat every day. Only one student per seat is permitted unless students are siblings or live in the same household; they may sit three to a seat.

Buses will be sanitized after each run and at the end of the day. Schools also will follow that protocol, with deep cleaning and sanitization scheduled for Wednesdays when all students participate in virtual learning.

Unanimity for plan

Following Ballenger’s presentation and comments and questions from the Warren County School Board members, the board voted unanimously to accept the WCPS reopening plan, with School Board Chairman Arnold Williams, Jr.; Vice Chairwoman Catherine Bower; and members Kristen Pence, Ralph Rinaldi, and James Wells voting aye.

“What we do is because of the students. That’s our future; that’s who’s going to be pushing my wheelchair one day and I want to make sure they’re educated,” mused Williams, who, on a more serious note, acknowledged the health concerns voiced by teachers.

“I understand health issues, trust me, everybody in this room does,” said Williams.

Bower and Pence said it is a well-developed reopening plan.

“I think our elementary school students especially need to be in the classroom,” Bower said. “They need the two meals they may not be getting at home, they need the support of teachers and staff,” and they need access to Child Protective Services.

Rinaldi agreed, saying the high schoolers and middle schoolers are likely better able to acclimate to online learning compared to the younger students.

“It’s an overwhelming job and it’s not one that we’ve seen in our lifetime,” said Wells. “You can’t believe how people will appreciate what you’ve done this year and in years to come – you’ve kept it rolling.”

Kim Oakland, president of the Warren County Education Association and a teacher at Ressie Jeffries Elementary School, apologized beforehand to the School Board members during the community participation portion of their meeting, noting that not everyone is going to be happy with the newly approved reopening plan. And Oakland said she was sorry that every WCPS student cannot be in school every single day without restrictions.

“So, thank you – thank you for being willing to make the hard decisions,” Oakland told the School Board members. “Thank you for caring about the well-being of our students and staff. Thank you for wanting to ensure teachers have the tools and the training they need to meet the challenges of this year. Thank you for ensuring our students have the resources that they need to be successful. And thank you for being the cheerleaders of our schools and not just fair-weather fans.”

“We, the teachers, will do what you ask of us,” added Kim Oakland, president of the Warren County Education Association

To read the full WCPS reopening plan, go online to:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/warren/Board.nsf/files/BS7R546C4277/$file/WCPS%202020-2021%20Reopening%20Plan.pdf.

The Royal Examiner filmed the entire School Board meeting and you can watch it below: