DEALING WITH COVID-19

This year the school system’s schedule started out hybrid, returned to more traditional, and has now gone back to hybrid.

Aug. 24: After the summer break, Catoosa County Public Schools resumed Monday, Aug. 24, with a “hybrid” schedule. Under this setup, elementary students (kindergarten through fifth grade) could attend school in-person five days a week; pre-kindergarten, middle and high school students could attend in-person two days a week (either on Mondays and Tuesdays or on Thursdays and Fridays), and they could participate in digital learning on the days they weren’t in class.

Oct. 26: About a month later, on Monday, Oct. 26, the school system moved to a more “traditional” schedule. Under this schedule, pre-kindergarten students could attend in-person five days a week, along with elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) students. Middle and high school students (grades 6-12) could attend in-person four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday).

Nov. 30: The school system had hope to offer a truly traditional schedule to all students after returning from the Thanksgiving break on Monday, Nov.

30. Under this setup, all students could attend in-person five days a week, Monday through Friday. But the school system, because so many students and staff were being quarantined, opted to return to the hybrid schedule, which will remain in place at least through the end of the year.

Note: The option has remained open for any student to forego in-person altogether and go full-digital, full-remote.