Gloucester schools plan April return
All grades to return four days per week
GLOUCESTER — Students in all grades will start going to school four days a week at the start of the fourth quarter, the Gloucester County School Board decided Tuesday night.
Currently, the district is operating on a two-day-a-week hybrid model. The board voted 5-2 to approve a plan that brings back students in middle and high school with disabilities on March 22 followed by other students on April 12.
“In all honesty, does it create a situation where there could be additional close contacts? Additional quarantines? That answer is yes,” superintendent Walter Clemons told the board.
“However, I don’t think that that outweighs trying to get students back in.” The district did a survey of families, staff and students last month about their preferences on a four-day model.
About two-thirds of students are going to school in-person now, according to Clemons.
About 83% of parents whose children are going to school in-person want four days of instruction.
But the plan is much less popular with staff. Just under 40% of staff want students to come to buildings four days a week.
“You’re asking staff to give more, but are you verifying there is even more to give?” asked Gloucester Education Association president and Page Middle School teacher Brian Teucke during public comment.
There’s not enough space in some buildings for all students to be 6 feet apart during class. Although most classrooms will be able to maintain 6 feet, students could be as close as 4 feet together in some rooms.
The Virginia Department of Health released new guidelines Tuesday that Clemons and district officials cited which say that when community case numbers are lower, 3 to 6 feet of distance is recommended but the focus should be on bringing back as many students as possible.
More time in school will also put a strain on buses.
District officials said that they’ll have tiered routes on some buses — a few might pick up middle and high school students, for example, and drop students off at a middle school before going to the high school.
There might also be some staggered arrivals, where some students could arrive and leave school as much as 30 minutes before others.
Principals from schools across the county told the board that despite challenges, they think four days is necessary.
They’re worried students are falling behind on the three days a week that they’re not in school, leading to bigger disparities that will be harder to address if they wait until next school year.
“That’s really where we are beginning to see the gaps, the hybrid students who are getting two days of instruction from a teacher and then three days of independent skill practice,” said Katina Keener, the principal of Achilles Elementary School.
“It really does depend on their support and whatever environment that they’re in when they can’t be in school.”