ALACHUA COUNTY –The continuing COVID-19 pandemic is making it nearly impossible to plan for future events, both personal and community wide. The situation is continually evolving, making plans dependent on the virus and its infection rate. Due to the school shutdowns caused by COVID-19, educators have had to rethink and improvise teaching and communication with students and families.
Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) had to transition rapidly from traditional teaching methods in a classroom setting to online and distance learning, finding ways to continue to teach, making use of the technology available. Now Alachua County Public Schools has released a draft return-to-school plan.
On March 14, the State ordered that all Florida public schools take an additional week off after spring break with plans to reopen on March 30. But the numbers continued to rise rapidly to over a thousand cases by March 22. Less than two weeks later, on March 31 there were 6,741 cases and 85 deaths. The Board of Education announced that all schools would remain closed until at least May, but each deadline was pushed back due to the continued outbreak and eventually the schools would remain closed for the year while educators scrambled to reinvent education for remote learning.
On June 3, Governor DeSantis announced that Florida would enter Phase Two of reopening starting June 5. It looked like school would return to normal for the next year.
However, as people flocked to recreation areas and indoor activities, the numbers of cases suddenly spiked in mid-June, and plans are thrown into turmoil. The Florida Department of Education was tasked with coming up with different options for an unpredictable school year.
After weeks of intensive work that included reviews of return-to-school plans from districts across Florida and other states, surveys of families and staff, consultations with local healthcare experts and guidance from the Florida Department of Education, Alachua County Public Schools has released a draft plan for the reopening of schools in the fall of 2020.
The plan outlines strategies that will be implemented depending on the community spread of the virus in three scenarios—no spread, minimal/moderate spread and significant spread. According to the Alachua County Health Department, Alachua County is currently in the minimal/moderate spread category, although that could change so the School Board came up with different options.
A survey previously sent to parents showed that of the more than 12,000 respondents, about 36 percent completely supported a return to in-person schooling with precautions, including frequent handwashing and enhanced cleaning of facilities, while about 26 percent did not.
“We recognize that no single plan will meet every family’s needs, particularly in this very challenging environment,” said Superintendent Karen Clarke. “What we’ve tried to create is a draft plan that provides options and covers a variety of scenarios depending on the course of the virus.”
The draft plan has been reviewed by the Alachua County Health Department and the district’s medical director, a pediatrician with UF Health. District staff will remain in constant contact with local healthcare professionals about COVID-19 and its impact on schools.
The complete draft plan, with additional information, is available on the district’s website at https://fl02219191.schoolwires.net/Page/30007. The draft plan is not a final plan and is dependent on the future of the virus.
The Alachua County School District will be seeking more input from staff, families and the community before the plan is finalized, which is scheduled for July 15. A school board workshop on July 8 at 2 p.m. will include a presentation on the draft plan, including the instructional options, and an opportunity for citizens to comment and ask questions. That workshop will be held online and will be open to the public. In the meantime, citizens can submit their input at returntoschool@gm.sbac.edu.
If the situation allows for it, the district currently plans to reopen schools to students on Aug. 10. Emails, texts and phone messages with a link to the plan are being sent to all families with students in the district.
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Email rcarson@
alachuatoday.com
ALACHUA COUNTY –The continuing COVID-19 pandemic is making it nearly impossible to plan for future events, both personal and community wide. The situation is continually evolving, making plans dependent on the virus and its infection rate. Due to the school shutdowns caused by COVID-19, educators have had to rethink and improvise teaching and communication with students and families.
Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) had to transition rapidly from traditional teaching methods in a classroom setting to online and distance learning, finding ways to continue to teach, making use of the technology available. Now Alachua County Public Schools has released a draft return-to-school plan.
On March 14, the State ordered that all Florida public schools take an additional week off after spring break with plans to reopen on March 30. But the numbers continued to rise rapidly to over a thousand cases by March 22. Less than two weeks later, on March 31 there were 6,741 cases and 85 deaths. The Board of Education announced that all schools would remain closed until at least May, but each deadline was pushed back due to the continued outbreak and eventually the schools would remain closed for the year while educators scrambled to reinvent education for remote learning.
On June 3, Governor DeSantis announced that Florida would enter Phase Two of reopening starting June 5. It looked like school would return to normal for the next year.
However, as people flocked to recreation areas and indoor activities, the numbers of cases suddenly spiked in mid-June, and plans are thrown into turmoil. The Florida Department of Education was tasked with coming up with different options for an unpredictable school year.
After weeks of intensive work that included reviews of return-to-school plans from districts across Florida and other states, surveys of families and staff, consultations with local healthcare experts and guidance from the Florida Department of Education, Alachua County Public Schools has released a draft plan for the reopening of schools in the fall of 2020.
The plan outlines strategies that will be implemented depending on the community spread of the virus in three scenarios—no spread, minimal/moderate spread and significant spread. According to the Alachua County Health Department, Alachua County is currently in the minimal/moderate spread category, although that could change so the School Board came up with different options.
A survey previously sent to parents showed that of the more than 12,000 respondents, about 36 percent completely supported a return to in-person schooling with precautions, including frequent handwashing and enhanced cleaning of facilities, while about 26 percent did not.
“We recognize that no single plan will meet every family’s needs, particularly in this very challenging environment,” said Superintendent Karen Clarke. “What we’ve tried to create is a draft plan that provides options and covers a variety of scenarios depending on the course of the virus.”
The draft plan has been reviewed by the Alachua County Health Department and the district’s medical director, a pediatrician with UF Health. District staff will remain in constant contact with local healthcare professionals about COVID-19 and its impact on schools.
The complete draft plan, with additional information, is available on the district’s website at https://fl02219191.schoolwires.net/Page/30007. The draft plan is not a final plan and is dependent on the future of the virus.
The Alachua County School District will be seeking more input from staff, families and the community before the plan is finalized, which is scheduled for July 15. A school board workshop on July 8 at 2 p.m. will include a presentation on the draft plan, including the instructional options, and an opportunity for citizens to comment and ask questions. That workshop will be held online and will be open to the public. In the meantime, citizens can submit their input at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If the situation allows for it, the district currently plans to reopen schools to students on Aug. 10. Emails, texts and phone messages with a link to the plan are being sent to all families with students in the district.
# # #
Email rcarson@
alachuatoday.com