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WRAL just said they talked to Bill Fletcher and there are no plans to close WCPSS yet.
No, they need to see where they are on the curve. You know, the curve that doesn't exist till this whole thing is over.
The 8 weeks line is pure BS, no other school district has announced such a drastic number and if they closed SOONER rather than LATER .... well, I'll leave that there.
I'm surprised a school board member took the time to answer panic-stricken parents before anything has been decided.
if the only "solution" is all-or-nothing, then I'm sorry we don't have better problem solvers at WCPSS and the Board.
Quote:
In Cary, only 11 percent of households lack a fixed high-speed internet connection, and in Raleigh, that figure is 18 percent. Across all surveyed households, 31 percent lack such a connection.
The survey does not distinguish between households that do not have access to such a connection, and those who cannot afford or choose not to purchase such a connection.
we say we have 1 device for every 3 students. Between that and internet service, I can't believe that wouldn't bridge 90%+ of the gap. So give everyone on FnR meals $4-6/day per kid. Anybody know what % of FnR are also SNAP beneficiaries?
DISTRICT UPDATE TO COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) - MARCH 13, 2020
As of March 13, all Wake County Schools will continue to operate on the regular schedule with the following exceptions:
School Extracurricular Activities and Events
ALL extracurricular activities and events are suspended indefinitely beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2020. This includes any school-based events happening before or after school hours.
All school-based before- and after-school child care programs will operate on a normal schedule.
Athletic Activities
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has suspended interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020 through Monday, April 6, 2020. NCHSAA will decide before April 6 whether to suspend activities beyond that date.
We are following the same guidelines for middle school athletics. All workouts, skill development, practices and contests are suspended for middle and high school.
This means that there will be no practices or games for any middle and high school athletic teams.
This weekend’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball State Championships also have been postponed.
District Events
District-sponsored events that include the general public have been canceled indefinitely as of Monday, March 16.
District-sponsored meetings that require school staff to leave campus have been canceled indefinitely.
District-sponsored in-person district professional development has been canceled. School-sponsored professional development taking place on a school’s campus is not affected.
As of today, school board meetings will be held as scheduled. The meeting format will be determined. If meetings are held in person, we will stream all work-sessions and board meetings so that the public may attend virtually.
Board of Education Spotlight on Student celebrations are suspended until further notice.
The current decision to operate our schools on a normal schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic is based on current data that our children have not been identified as a high-risk population for COVID-19. In addition, most of our workforce is also not identified as high-risk. Following recommendations of CDC, closing for a short period of time could do more harm than good.
That said, this unprecedented situation requires maximum flexibility. We know that we have some students and staff who are at high-risk, or who live with someone who is at high-risk.
For this reason, we will operate under the maximum flexibility available under the current law.
Students absences | Principals will use maximum flexibility when excusing absences during this time.
Senior Exam Exemptions | Absences will not be considered when determining senior exemptions. For exams created by the school, exemptions will be based only on grades of A, B or C. Unless directed otherwise by the state, students will be required to participate in all end-of-course (EOC) assessments administered by the State Department of Public Instruction.
Staff attendance | To help ensure student and staff safety, employees know that they are not obligated to report to work if they feel that they are not well or if they are in a high-risk category.
We are doing this because we understand that the public school system plays a vital role in our community, far beyond our core purpose of teaching and learning. We understand that keeping the public school system open is critical for the health and safety of our community. In making this decision, we are considering the following:
Thousands of health and medical professionals’ children attend our schools. Closing schools compromises the ability of many of them to work at our hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities at a time when their presence is crucial.
Thousands of public safety professionals’ children attend our schools. Closing schools compromises the ability of many of them to work in Emergency Management Centers, EMS, law enforcement, fire departments, and other emergency response positions, impacting the core safety of our community.
Possibly increased risk of exposure. When schools close, children have to go somewhere. This often includes children being left with caregivers who might be elderly or who are at-risk. This increases risk of exposure between and among children and older or at-risk adults, rather than having students spend the day with children their own age and with adults who are at lower risk.
Childcare. Closing schools for an extended period of time has a negative impact on many parents’ ability to work and in many cases could compromise their jobs and the overall economy of our community.
Food insecurity is an issue among many of our students. When schools are closed for extended periods, many of our students do not have access to healthy food. This could aggravate an already volatile situation.
While we are not making the decision to close at this time, families should prepare for this possibility. According to the CDC, a school district would need to remain closed for at least 8 or more weeks to help control the spread of COVID-19. If an individual school or the district does not have enough staff to supervise students, we will be required to close. We understand that this situation is also unprecedented, as the outcome for our community would be significant, both for our families and for staff. We ask parents and staff to prepare now for a possible closure. We understand that the economic, health, safety and educational implications would be significant.
This is an unprecedented situation, and one for which we do not have all the answers. We acknowledge the anxiety this may cause. our students, especially our high school students who are focused on graduation. We are working through all the implications and will share information as we make decisions. We must also acknowledge that many of these decisions are not in our power to make and will need to be made in partnership with state and federal agencies.
For students and staff who will be attending school, it is critical that you follow the advice of health professionals.
Do not attend school if you are sick. To promote public safety, we ask all students, parents and staff to take your temperature prior to attending school. The CDC directs you to stay home if you have a temperature of 100.4 or higher or are experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Prioritize hand washing. Hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the most effective way to contain the spread of illness and disease, including COVID-19.
Avoid visiting high risk populations. For everyone’s safety, local health officials are asking people to take advantage of technology, such as video calling, instead of making a visit in person.
At this time, no student or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. We are prepared to respond quickly if a school is impacted directly by COVID-19, because either a staff member or student tests presumptive positive. We are certain that if this situation occurs, we’ll be notified immediately by public health officials. In turn, we’ll immediately notify the staff and families of that school community. We anticipate that in this situation, we will close the affected school for a minimum of two days to clean the school, conduct a health investigation and notify any affected students or staff.
Wake County Emergency Management is the lead agency in our community’s COVID-19 response. Our partnership is critical in keeping our schools and community safe. We are working very closely with these and other health professionals as we consider our decisions.
Wake County Public Health has developed a FAQ list to answer many questions concerning safety issues around COVID-19. As we continue to communicate with Wake County Public Health, we will update our information and keep you informed as we monitor this issue and of our response to it.
We ask for your patience and support as we all work together to support our community. If you have questions, please let us know online.
I love that the board meetings won't be open to the public. LOL
Last edited by m378; 03-13-2020 at 06:09 PM..
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