On September 18, the Board of Education learned of the many preparations that are being made by the school district to safely return to school while considering the health and well-being of students and staff. The Board of Education voted unanimously to transition from Plan C (all remote learning) to Plan B (moderate social distancing), which will go into effect on October 6, 2020 for the early college high schools and October 19, 2020 for the traditional schools. The Plan B schedule for students will be as follows:
Remote learning (Craven LIVE) will remain an option for our families who decided they are not ready to return to the school campus yet and want to continue with this learning model until the end of the first semester. If parents wish to change their child’s current placement (into or out of Craven LIVE or Plan B), they will be given an opportunity to submit a request. Each request will be addressed on a case by case basis that will take class size into consideration.
Governor Cooper also announced (September 18) his new executive order providing the OPTION for school districts in North Carolina to return PreK-5th grade students under Plan A. This option would not be available until on or after October 5, 2020. The requirements under Plan A, as defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, is minimal social distancing, which is least restrictive for school reopening. The Craven County Board of Education has the flexibility to create a more restrictive plan and will consider Plan A when this is the best option based on our local COVID-19 trends and metrics in Craven County. It was the consensus of the Board of Education that the best option for our students and staff is to continue with the progression to Plan B from Plan C.
Craven County Schools looks forward to welcoming our students back onto their school campus under Plan B and will be adhering to strong safety protocols implemented for all students and staff, which are put into place to help stop the spread of sickness. These measures include:
- Wearing face covering over nose and mouth
- Social distancing 6 feet apart
- Daily health screening
- Daily temperature checks
- Washing hands frequently
Additional information will be communicated on the return to school including arrival and dismissal protocols, transportation, school meals, limitations on movement throughout the building, classroom settings, school supplies and cleaning protocols.
In partnership with our school leaders we recommend that all of our staff, students, and community continue to follow the three W’s: Wear a cloth covering over your nose and mouth, Wait 6 feet apart – Avoid close contact, and Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to help open our school doors. Thank you for your ongoing partnership as we all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. As always, we appreciate your patience and understanding as our top priority continues to be the safety, health, and well-being of all of our students and staff. We are all in this together!
By Jennifer Wagner, Director of Public Relations, Craven County Schools