Murphy – Local students can go to their school buildings more often.
The Cherokee County Board of Education accepted plans Thursday afternoon to allow students to choose to attend in-person school four days a week, as long as classrooms within the buildings could accommodate safety and state-mandated guidelines. Families may continue to choose remote learning for their students.
Wednesday will continue to be a remote learning day for all students.
School board member Jeff Martin requested the board consider getting the schools as close to normal – or “pre-COVID” – as possible.
“It’s kind of a hot topic around the county right now,” said Martin, a doctor.
He said he spoke with family physicians and local pediatricians to get the medical perspective. The overwhelming response was that kids need a normal environment.
While Martin personally wanted kids back to school full time, he liked keeping Wednesdays as a remote day so the schools’ staff could thoroughly clean the buildings to decrease infection rates. Superintendent Jeana Conley added that Wednesdays also helps schools provide an equitable education to students who are remote only.
“That’s one-on-one time with them,” Conley said. “I would love to see five days, too, but it’s a tradeoff.”
Cherokee County Schools opened in August under the state’s Plan B, which was a mix of in-person and remote learning, with families having the ability to choose Plan C, or only remote learning, for their students. All elementary schools began following the four-day model after the state allowed those schools to open under its Plan A in October, and the local school board agreed.
Some students in all schools were already going four days prior to this week. Andrews and Hiwassee Dam high schools determined the number of students attending in person were permissible for four days following school capacity mandates from the state.
“We’re not talking about going against the guidelines or breaking the rules,” Conley said.
Desks still need to be placed 6 feet apart, and masks must still be worn. Screenings before entering the school are also still required. Students would continue to be monitored when outside their classrooms.
Most schools in the district could safely accommodate students four days a week. Conley said the 296 total students at Murphy High attending in person two days a week on the AA/BB schedule was well under 50 percent of the school’s capacity. The high school has a total of 455 students, the largest student body in the county.
Dr. Lisa Fletcher, principal of Murphy High, told the board she was excited about plans to move her students to a four-day schedule, She added that plans to make it possible were worked on with the principals of Andrews and Hiwassee Dam high schools, Lance Bristol and Daniel McNabb.
“I think high school students need to feel like high school students,” Fletcher said. “Our classrooms are set up. We have the room.”
Murphy Middle School could not welcome everyone back at this time, while Tri-County Early College High School needed to follow the college schedule as students attend classes there.
Murphy Middle already has 130 students attending four days out of the 216 students who are attending school in person. Principal Tiffany Clapsaddle said she doesn’t have the space in her building or the personnel to bring the other students back.
“At this time, we have a waiting list,” she said. “There’s no way we can bring every student back four days.”
Clapsaddle said there’s possibly space for 10-20 students, but some of the slots available are for advanced classes that not any student could fit in.
After the first nine weeks of school, there were more than 100 students failing. She said educators met with those students and did whatever they could to help them, and after Thanksgiving started offering them four days of in-person instruction. As a result, only about 50 students are failing.
“It makes sense,” Clapsaddle said. “If you’re in school, you’re going to learn.”
Conley and Clapsaddle said they would continue to work on solutions to bring back all students that want to be back four days. The school has 75 students who are remote only.
As bus capacity mandates will continue to be an issue, parents were also asked to understand that they may need to provide transportation when busses are unavailable. Conley said the district has “tapped out” its ability to use busses, and those students who were getting bus transportation Mondays and Tuesdays, may not be able to Thursdays and Fridays, and vice versa.
All board members present voted in favor of the change. Martin, James Ellis and Joey Shore were present in person, Arnold Mathews was present through video conferencing and Jeff Tatham was present through speakerphone, requiring a roll call vote of members. Both Keesha Curtis and Joe Wood were unable to attend the special called meeting.
The school day was also lengthened to 3 p.m. as of Monday, but it was determined board approval was not needed for that change. Conley said teachers needed that time with students.
The next regular board meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road.