Metrics to gauge and allow a phased-in return to in-person learning for students were adopted by the Chesterfield County Public Schools Board during its Aug. 11 meeting.
If health data related to COVID-19 keeps improving, all students — or those who want to — could return within a seven-week period, a Project Restart board document states.
The metrics would use a seven-day average of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, the positivity test rate and the rate of hospitalizations.
In the document, superintendent Merv Daugherty said, “This is a dynamic plan that will change as guidance does.”
Noting Chesterfield is one of the 70 largest school districts in the nation, Daugherty said he convened a public health panel to help guide the school district.
The panel drafted a color-coded ranking system: green, yellow, orange and red. It will reflect the school district’s health ratings for the above three categories. Green reflects in-person learning or hybrid; yellow = hybrid or virtual learning with phased-in cohorts; orange = virtual learning with phased-in cohorts or full virtual; and red = full virtual.
On Aug. 9, Chesterfield had 15.5 cases per 100,000 people. On Aug. 5, it had a positivity test rate of 7.9%. Both were in the orange category. The hospitalization rate was in the yellow category. School district staff said a full opening wouldn’t occur until the positivity rate is under 5%.
Approved as part of the metrics were four cohorts or groups. Nicholas Oyler, the district’s coordinator of student health services, recommended that cohorts could begin returning to in-person learning when the first two categories are in the lower 50% of the orange range coupled with two weeks of a downward trend.
The first cohort includes select special education students who would return to school four days a week. The second includes all special education students and grades pre-kindergarten through second. The third includes grades three through five. The fourth is divided between group A, which includes sixth- and ninth-graders, and B, which includes the remaining middle and high school grades.
All cohorts except the first would go to school on either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday.
Students who become ill could use an asynchronous learning model that would keep them with their class, similar to what happens if a student misses time for a surgery.
Parents could choose to have their students learn virtually throughout the entire year through CCPSOnline.
The school district estimates the cost of returning to school under a phased-in model at $27 million to $30 million, with the federal CARES Act funding providing at least $6 million.
Meeting every two weeks
The school board will hold work sessions every two weeks to consider data. Enactment of any decisions for a cohort to return to in-person learning would begin a week later.
Board chair Debbie Bailey said the board will be meeting every other Tuesday for the foreseeable future.
Child care?
“We will begin school (on Sept. 8) with 100 percent virtual,” she said in remarks near the end of the meeting. “We realize this creates a tremendous burden on working families.”
Bailey said the school district has had discussions with the YMCA about using common areas such as auditoriums and cafeterias in high schools as day care centers for children of teachers and parents.
“There is a world of difference between housing an entire student population in a building and allowing a small socially-distanced cohort of children in a supervised day care setting,” she said.
Discussions on social media about that topic have been inaccurate, she said, noting that the school district would not make a profit off the use of the buildings, which are owned by the county.
“Thanks for your continued grace and patience,” she said, noting the next school board work session was scheduled for 3 p.m. Aug. 25.
Redistricting, new hires
The board unanimously voted to proceed with a redistricting study this fall with the plan to be fully implemented by the fall of 2022.
As part of the consent agenda, the board hired Sheryl Doswell as the new principal at Falling Creek Middle School, replacing Aurelia Ortiz. Also hired was Andrea Bullis as associate principal at Bellwood Elementary.
New school
A new Harrowgate Elementary School will open in September at 4000 Cougar Trail next to Carver Middle School. The new school replaces the circa-1960 school at 15501 Harrowgate Road.
