Cleveland City Schools will offer a traditional, in-person school format for the upcoming school year employing policies to prevent, identify, and mitigate the spread of COVID19, as well as two other options, officials said.
A traditional, at-home (hybrid) plan will also be available for students in the event that a school or the system must close due to COVID-19.
Finally, the Virtual School of Cleveland will be offered for those families that need an alternative to the preferred option of a traditional setting.
Highlights of the plan include a change to the 2020-2021 academic calendar whereby students will now report back to school on Monday, Aug. 10, for a reconnection week experience.
School schedules for the fall are being altered to take into account the need for mitigation factors such as temperature checks before entering the schools. The elementary schools will be open from 8:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m., the middle school will operate from 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m., and the high school will be open from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Dr. Russell Dyer, director of Cleveland City Schools, said, "I am proud of the work of this task force led by Dr. Jeff Elliott. The group considered the needs of students, families, and our employees to make the hard decisions needed to begin the upcoming school year. The school board asked great questions and together we will be prepared to welcome back our students on Aug. 10."
Online registration will begin today and conclude on Wednesday, July 22. Parents are asked to check their email associated with their PowerSchool account for additional information on registration. This and additional information, including the Re-Entry and Reopening Guide, will be uploaded to the CCS website soon.
The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education approved the Re-Entry and Reopening Guide for the 2020-2021 School Year at its board meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The plan was written in conjunction with guidance provided by the Tennessee Department of Education as well as the Tennessee Department of Health. Information from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institution for Excellence in Teaching also was utilized in the formation of our plan.
The Cleveland City Schools Reopening Task Force also included principals, directors, and supervisors from the school system. Brittany Hopkins, Director of the Bradley County Health Department, also consulted with this task force. Surveys from families and staff as well as a teacher focus group also were utilized to guide the work of this committee.