The Burke County Board of Education approved Plan B in a special called meeting on Friday.
Under this plan, school will start on Aug. 17 with both in person and remote instruction. Parents do have options. Parents can choose for their students to learn two days in school and three days remotely, or they can choose 100 percent remote learning through the Burke County Virtual Academy.
Under Plan B, the face-to-face instruction will take place on a rotating schedule. One group of students will be in school buildings on Mondays and Thursdays. A second group of students will be in school buildings on Tuesdays and Fridays. Wednesday will be a remote day for everyone, a professional development day for teachers and give schools the opportunity for a thorough cleaning of the buildings.
Burke County Board of Education Chair Buddy Armour said, “We know that no one plan works for everyone nor does it make everyone happy. But this is the best plan for Burke County Public Schools as we balance the need for the health and safety of our students and staff with the importance of supporting students in person in the classroom. In looking at the preliminary information from our surveys, the majority of our parents and teachers are comfortable being back in our buildings. For those who are not, this plan offers options. We know this is a fluid situation. How we start school may not be how we end up. None of us have done school like this before. But we are committed to serving students and families through this pandemic.”
Superintendent Dr. Larry Putnam said, “At Burke County Public Schools, our goal is to be in school buildings for in-person instruction five days a week for as much of the 2020-2021 academic year as possible. But realistically, until the COVID-19 cases in our community decrease to a level where that is feasible, parents have the choice of sending their students to school two days a week or enrolling in our Virtual Academy for 100 percent remote learning for the entire semester.”
In-person learning will take place with schools adhering to strict health and safety protocols and procedures following local, state and federal COVID-19 guidelines. These include required daily temperature checks, daily health questions, face coverings, social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times, frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing, covering coughs and sneezes and thorough cleanings.
Access to technology and materials for all students is critical to our plan for remote learning. Therefore, starting early August, each BCPS student will receive a device to take home. Your child’s school will be in touch for a specific time and date for you to pick up your child’s device. There is a $25 fee associated with the device, but if there are multiple students in one family there is a $40 cap on this fee. The BCPS technology department will offer training sessions on the devices and provide help with hotspots and connectivity.
Putnam said, “We will support our families and staff through this process as we are all in this together. I know you still have a lot of questions. Now that we have word from our Governor and a plan from our Board of Education, we have a direction and can start answering some of those questions. We will release more information and specifics as soon as possible, and you can expect your child’s school to be reaching out to you as well to answer some of your questions. Thank you for your continued support and patience. We are in this together and are stronger together.”
