Following is the press release issued earlier from the Newberry County School District (NCSD):
The Newberry County School Board met on Tuesday, July 21 to review the proposal of the district administration for reopening for the 2020-21 school year. The Board approved modifying the start date to the school year to August 24. This calendar modification gives flexibility for students who will attend LEAP and for teacher professional development.
The district administration recommended following SCDHEC guidelines to begin the school year in a virtual only platform. After much discussion, the Board decided to give parents the choice of sending their child to school with the Hybrid Model or enrolling in the newly implemented Newberry ONE eLearning Institute. The Newberry ONE eLearning Institute allows parents the opportunity to choose completely online learning for a semester at a time. The Hybrid Model also includes virtual learning, but assigns students into two groups to attend school two days per week. Group 1 will attend school on Mondays and Thursdays, Group 2 will attend school on Tuesdays and Fridays. On the days students are not physically present in school, they will participate in virtual learning and complete all assignments as if they are in school.
The district administration began their reopening proposal by stating their priorities: The health, safety, and well-being of all students and staff is the number one priority of our school district. Families should have choices for their children. We recognize that what works for one child may not work for another. We support each other and value the opinions of our stakeholders.
Superintendent Jim Suber commented…
“I want to thank our students, teachers, staff, school board, and community for their patience and support as we made this difficult decision. The input we received through family and staff surveys, and discussing our potential reopening plans with staff, students, parents, and stakeholders has been invaluable to our decision making process.
It is our collective responsibility to provide a safe learning environment for our students, teachers, and staff members. We are committed to providing all necessary resources to insure that our facilities are properly cleaned and sanitized prior to our August 24th start date and will provide all recommended PPE to staff and students as needed.
We are truly blessed to have over 800 employees that dedicate themselves to making a difference in our students’ lives each and every day. This COVID-19 pandemic will force us to think “outside the box” and to provide a first class learning experience in different ways. We are up to this challenge and look forward to the 2020-2021 school year.”
The Board is scheduled to meet again on Monday, July 27, for the regular scheduled monthly meeting.
