Students in Carroll County public schools returned to class this week, and many people were pleasantly surprised with the new procedures.
“We have got them in the school building, and we are having school,” Superintendent Jim Ray said Thursday morning.
Ray was pleased to report that “everything went smooth” as students came back to classes.
“Teachers are happy, students are happy and I think parents were probably happy, too,” Ray said. “Everyone is scared, nervous and unsure. But I think everyone was glad to see those buses running.”
The district gave families the option of either traditional in-person classes or virtual distance learning. Unlike the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District, Carroll County is not offering a hybrid option that would combine online and face-to-face learning.
Those parents opting for their children to continue learning digitally had to sign a waiver that acknowledged “the distance learning model is not comparable to the face-to-face instruction in the traditional plan,” according to the school reopening plan that was approved last month.
Also, a student who continues distance learning cannot participate in extracurricular activities.
The district is still planning to hold its fall sports schedule including football.
Adrienne Vance, who has a son in fourth grade, said the district has been very accommodating during the pandemic.
“My son has a very poor immune system, and I didn’t feel safe sending him to classes,” Vance said. “I love Marshall Elementary, and they have made this such an easy transition.”
Ray said he did not yet have the exact number of participants for the respective learning options. He said a finalized total is expected by early next week.
For the traditional schedule, though, Ray said all the new measures seemed to be going as planned, including mask requirements and floor stickers with the 6-foot marks to maintain spacing.
Coretta Green, principal of J.Z. George High School, said students have responded well to the policies.
“I think the students felt better knowing we were checking temperatures and making sure they’re safe,” she said.
Green said she was anxious for the start of the school year, but after the first day her worries were laid to rest: “This principal is smiling today, and I hope tomorrow is the same.”
Ray said the school district will use almost $300,000 from the CARES Act for technological improvements and cleaning supplies.
“Whether it’s the threat of school terrorism, school shooting or COVID-19, we try to do what we can to make sure kids are educated in a safe environment,” he said.
• Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. Twitter: @AdamBakst_GWCW
