CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two local school systems, Kanawha and Roane, are preparing their schedules for the spring term to run under the action taken by the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBOE) Wednesday.
Kanawha County Schools (KCS) will be using a blended learning beginning Jan. 19 in light of a vote by the WVBOE preventing remote learning for all students. KCS Board of Education had voted that morning to have all school remote until February 8.
“Well, that’s a decision they have researched and looked at. They feel like that is what is best for students and we will of course abide by what the state board has decided,” Dr. Tom Williams, Superintendent for KCS told 580-WCHS in Charleston.
More than 15,000 students, around 53% of students enrolled in Kanawha County, have selected the in-person learning model for spring. Students who had signed up for e-learning and virtual will continue the distance learning as normal.
Students with last names beginning with letters “A” through “L” will be in the classroom on January 19-20, while all remaining students will have face-to-face instruction on January 21-22. Williams noted KCS is not a stranger to the blended model, having done it for one week in the fall.
Williams said the February 8 date will set up well with the pace of employees in KCS getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The school system planned to vaccine another 1,600 employees Thursday and end the first dose distribution by the end of next week.
“By that time, almost all of the staff will have one vaccination and a large portion with have two vaccinations. That is of course those who chose to get the vaccination,” Williams said.
Roane County Schools (RCS) Superintendent Richard Duncan said everyone is on board to return to a 5-day a week in-person learning period for elementary and middle schools and a 4-day in-person model for high schools on January 19.
Duncan told 580-WCHS in Charleston that between 60 and 65% of students in the county will be doing the in-person learning while the remainder participates in the local distance program or the state’s virtual learning.
While Duncan said there have been successes to the remote instruction, he said many struggles due to engagement.
“Some students simply aren’t participating in online classes, they are not responding to teachers, they are not responding to online assignments or other options we have had,” he said.
Duncan noted the only time the school system has gone fully remote is by order by Gov. Jim Justice. He credited a community approach to the pandemic to the small virus numbers seen inside the school system.
“We have seen as a county, even outside of our schools, relatively smaller number of infection than what our other neighbors have seen. We credit that as being a huge part of what has kept us so far in good shape and what has kept us going this school year,” Duncan said.
RCS vaccinated 70 staff on Friday of last week and plans to vaccinate another 60 staff on Friday. Duncan said he is hopeful the vaccination process is completed by the end of February.
Story by Jake Flatley