FC School District students to notice changes Monday

Students required to use clear backpacks; parents should note changes for car riders

Forrest City School District students returning to classes on Monday, Aug. 15, will notice a few minor changes this year.

One is the change to clear backpacks for all students.

"We are using clear backpacks as a safety and security precaution," said Kendall Owens, public relations director for the district.

Owens said the move is a tool to help staff and administrators attempt to keep prohibited items off campus as students enter the buildings. "It will speed up the process when students come in because they'll be able to see what is in their backpacks as they walk by," he said.

Owens added that backpacks have to be clear vinyl and mesh backpacks will not be allowed.

"Some of the mesh backpacks, if you look at them, they may appear clear. But they have a base to support the mesh backpack that may be a nylon or solid color, so you can't see what is in the bottom of the bag,” he said.

Owens said students will be allowed to have a non-clear pouch to store personal items such as hygiene items and wallets.

"That doesn't have to be clear," said Owens.

Owens said the district provided backpacks for students during the recent back-to-school fair and students in need of the proper type of backpack may still pick one up.

"The way that was done is each campus had a list of their students. Students came in, went through the line and the workers would highlight their names as they received their backpack,” explained Owens. "If they did not come to the back-to-school fair, they do not have to purchase a backpack. They'll be able to pick up their backpack next week depending on how each campus decides to distribute those."

Owens said school supply lists may be found on the district's social media pages for most campuses.

"I know at the high school a lot of parents have been pointing out we didn't post a high school list, or a ninth or 10th grade list. There is a reason for that," said Owens. "Dr. Malcolm Jones (high school principal) felt like that is something that the kids at that level, once they come in, it is better for the individual teachers to assign those lists because you may have a science class that requires one thing that another science class does not. So, those lists are more student and classroom based."

Owens added that basics, such as paper, folders and writing utensils such as pens and pencils are always good to have.

"One of the big things we are stressing to everybody is hygiene products such as hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and disinfectant spray," said Owens.

Owens said that while masks are not mandatory at the time, the district urges parents to take all precautions to still help slow the spread of viruses within the district.

"We will still be taking precautions and observing the rules that are now in place," said Owens of Covid procedures.

"We are allowing water bottles. We have special fill stations for bottles on our campus so they can

fill their water bottles as needed," said Owens.

Owens added that the cafeterias are also open for parents who want to come in to purchase breakfast or lunch to eat with their child.

"They'll check in with the main office then they can purchase their meal in the cafeteria," said Owens.

This year, Owens said changes are being made to the district’s drop-off and pick-up procedures in an effort to help ease traffic problems as well as to ensure safety of students due to construction taking place on some campuses.

"It is going to be vitally important for safety's sake that parents observe our rules and regulations when it comes to when parents can pick up and drop off their students," said Owens.

Students may not be dropped off at any campus before 7:30 a.m. or picked up after 2:30 p.m.

"So, any doctor's appointments or anything scheduled in the afternoon, parents need to schedule around those times so we do not have people coming in at 2:45 p.m., picking up kids early," said Owens.

Owens said campus visitors will also be required to use designated parking areas.

"Please refrain from parking in the fire lanes," said Owens. "We will be asking the police department to ticket and tow those parking in the fire lanes. It is a hazard, especially with construction going on. If we do have a situation where we have to have emergency personnel come out and can't get to a good spot due to someone being parked there, that is an issue."

For Central, morning dropoff will be in the front of the building for all students, according to Owens. In the afternoon, pre-K will be picked up on the back side of the campus from 2:30 until 3 p.m.

"Our buses start getting there at 3 p.m., so we are trying to expedite the pre-K kids by having them picked up in the back and not having that traffic on the front," said Owens.

Kindergarten, first and second grade afternoon pickup will take place in front of the building.

"With the amount of construction going on at Central right now we want to limit the amount of parents we have on the back side of the school,” said Owens.

"For Stewart, things are a little easier," said Owens.

Parents will follow the same flow of traffic as last year where they enter on Dawson from the south and flow through the traffic lane to drop off and pick up students.

"We are asking parents not to park on the backside of the building or at the administration office for drop off or pick up," added Owens for the Stewart campus. "If they are car riders, we need to have them follow the policy we have in place. If they are a car rider, we need them to go out through the front and access the car like all other students."

At the junior high school, the drop-off and pick-up procedures will also be the same as before, said Owens.

"Parents will drop off students for the Sixth Grade Academy from Victoria Street, and junior high will access the parking lot from Graham Street," said Owens. “You'll see the chain there in the middle separating the sides."

At the high school, Owens said there are several changes this year.

"All students will be dropped off and picked up from school on the Victoria Street side of the high school," said Owens. "They will not pull into the parking lot, but out on Victoria Street."

Owens recommends parents access Victoria Street from Dawson Road so they pick up their children on the passenger side of the vehicle then leave east on Victoria.

"The bus traffic will be completely on Graham Street. It will not pull into the parking lot but drop off and pick up near the fine arts building,” said Owens.

Owens added that students driving themselves to school will have to register their vehicles to receive an access card for the new computerized gated system at the student parking area.

"They'll access the lot from the Graham Street side," said Owens. "They'll not be able to exit onto Graham Street but through the service road near the greenhouses."

Owens said during events at the campus, the gated system will be disabled for parents to come in, but parents will need to take note of the traffic flow.

"So we don't have mass chaos because it is going to be a fencedin parking lot," said Owens. "There is going to be one way in and one way out so they are going to have to bear with us."

Owens ask that parents also remain patient when picking up their children.

"We know the lines are going to be long and we know there will be issues, but we will work our way through those as quickly as possible and keep things moving," said Owens.

Owens said the district is excited to start this new school year.

"We have the new industrial arts building we're adding that will have the new carpentry program Dr. (Tiffany) Hardrick has been promoting. We'll have the new nursing course that will allow our students to enter into the nursing program after high school and we'll still have our CDL program," said Owens. "We are doing things not to just prepare students for college, but for life after high school.

"They are new programs to us, but it isn't a new concept for education," continued Owens. "In previous eras of education, children were able to pick up skills such as carpentry, nursing, plumbing, drafting and go straight from high school into the workforce with certifications."

Owens said not every child plans to attend college or could go to college so the district is implementing programs to give every child in the district the opportunity to be successful.

"Some students need to go to work after high school. They need a productive paying job, whether we like it or not, to take care of their family," said Owens. "So we are trying to provide them with skills so they can do that."

Open house for the district is this evening, from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by the Mustangs football team playing a Blue and White scrimmage game at 7.

“It will give the community the opportunity to come out and see what our Mustangs have been working on all summer and put into action the practice they’ve had before stepping onto the field for their first opening game in a couple of weeks,” said Owens. “We’re excited to be moving away from Covid but still taking all the precautions we can to secure our campuses and make them as safe as possible for our students and our staff.”