The school week for students in the West Carroll Special School District will be a little different when they return from fall break later this month.
During the Oct. 1 Board of Education meeting, school board members voted unanimously to change to a four-day school week for in-person student attendance, starting immediately after fall break.
Director of Schools Dexter Williams, who recommended the change, explained that no students will be attending school in-person on Fridays, though all students will engage in distance learning those days.
Fall break is scheduled for the week of Oct. 12-16, and in-person students will return on Monday, Oct. 19.
Williams said that this should give teachers a bit of a breather from having to both teach students in the classroom and provide distance learning for those students staying home for COVID-related reasons.
“Our teachers are stretched, and I think this will give them some much-needed time,” he said.
Williams also pointed out that it will provide in-person students with some experience with distance learning in case schools are shut down again like they were back in the spring.
West Carroll schools did have to shut down for a couple of days back in mid-September after a couple of cafeteria staff members tested positive and most of the cafeteria staff at all three schools had to be quarantined. During that time, other staff members, including teachers and administrators, stepped in to help provide meals for the students.
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As a reward for staff members taking on extra duties related to COVID-19, the board voted unanimously to put some extra money in their paychecks.
On Williams’ recommendation, the board agreed to give teachers $200 per year per full-time virtual student and to give all staff members doing temperature checks $10 per day for performing that duty.
As part of his motion, board member Patrick Lindsey also put in $5 per game for staff members conducting temperature checks at athletic events.
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During a work session before the regular board meeting, Williams and K-12 Supervisor of Instruction Regina Alred advised the board that some of the district’s 140-plus distance learners are not keeping up with their schoolwork.
“Teachers are getting very frustrated,” said Alred. “Some students are not turning their work in or even picking it up.”
Alred pointed out that many of the students doing distance learning were struggling before the pandemic, and without the kind of daily accountability that can only be provided in the classroom, these students are slipping through the cracks.
“We’ve got some kids who have done absolutely nothing,” said Williams.
“I think we all knew this was going to happen,” commented board chairman William Robinson.
Alred said she mailed out letters to the parents of all virtual learners earlier in the week reminding them of the requirements.
Williams said that they’re going to have to let some of these parents know they need to either send their kids back to school or start making sure they keep up with their school work – or their children will be at risk of failing.
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In other business:
•The board gave second reading approval to board policy updates regarding nepotism, enrollment in college level courses, zero tolerance offenses, student disciplinary hearing authority, alternative school programs, child abuse and neglect, bids and quotations, and suspensions, expulsions, and remands.
•An overnight softball trip to Cookeville was approved for April 2-3, 2021.
•Security system upgrades for school facilities were approved.
•Policy manual guidelines were approved for a new school program for gifted and talented students in grades K-6. As Crystal Polinski and Michelle Robinson explained to the board, this program is for those students who fall just a little short of qualifying for the state’s gifted program.
•The Safe Schools Act budget was approved.
•Williams advised the board that 648 cases of food items will be given out to local families in need on Oct. 23 through the USDA Farmers to Families program.
