Henderson County Schools Reopening Plan for March 22nd

Dear Parents and Families,

First, I would like to say thank you to our students, families, and staff for being resilient throughout this school year. This has been a challenging year that has required us all to be flexible, patient, and understanding. We have worked together successfully through this pandemic as one team utilizing the tools and technology we are blessed to have.

We are very fortunate to be a 1:1 district with all of our students K-12th grade equipped with Chromebooks. With rigor, grit, and determination we have adapted and utilized NTI days and a Hybrid schedule throughout this school year. However, we know the best method of teaching is in-person instruction. With all of this in mind, we are making plans for all of our students to return to in-person classes four days per week, with Wednesday set aside for deep cleaning, starting on Monday, March 22nd.

There are several factors and steps that we will take as we move to the new schedule:

• The positivity rate for our community and the state is steadily decreasing.

• On February 23rd, Governor Andy Beshear issued a new executive order that recommends all school districts offer or expand some form of in-person instructional opportunities beginning March 1st or seven days after staff have received their second vaccination.
• By March 22nd, all of our staff who chose to take the vaccine will have received both shots.

• The CDC is encouraging a return to in-person classes while continuing with safety measures.
• Our maintenance department will continue routine maintenance and filter replacement on our ventilation systems.
• We will continue to monitor and track staff and student quarantines and positive

Cases through our district dashboard.

• We will continue to collaborate with the Green River District Health Department and Deaconess Henderson Hospital.
• We will continue frequent cleaning of high touch areas throughout the school day.
• Students and staff will continue to wear masks all day except when eating and drinking.
• We will continue with daily temperatures checks and health screenings.

All students in both Group 1 and Group 2 will be attending in-person together four days per week with this new schedule. This will present challenges in social distancing. Using guidance from the Kentucky Department of Education and the Kentucky Department of Public Health we will re-evaluate our current plans for social distancing and make necessary adjustments. Please visit the following websites for more information:

• KDE COVID-19 Guidance 2.0” 
• Guidance on Safety Expectations and Best Practice For Kentucky Schools, updated December 7, 2020.
• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools Updated: February 11, 2021  

Additionally, our transportation department is adjusting bus schedules and will be communicating with families any changes for pick-up and drop-off times. More students will be riding the buses and sitting together which means wearing a mask, handwashing, and daily health assessment prior to leaving home is vital for our families to practice daily.

Why are we choosing four days per week instead of five days per week?  As we begin the transition, we will continue to set Wednesdays aside for deep cleaning and a day dedicated to teacher planning.  If it is determined after the initial two weeks that we can go to school five days per week, that decision will be made after our spring break.

For families that would like to select a virtual learning option for their students, the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) open enrollment will begin on March 1st.
This learning option provides the opportunity for our students to receive synchronous instruction in real time with the student’s teachers and peers.
VLA open enrollment for the fourth marking period will begin on March 1st and will close at 6:00 p.m. on March 5th. Families need to complete Open Enrollment only if the student is currently on VLA and wants to return to school
OR the student is currently attending school in person (HYBRID OR NTI) and wants to move to 100% Virtual Learning.
All students who complete Open Enrollment will start their new placement on March 15th, 2021. 

Thank you again for your resilience and flexibility this year.

Dr. Bob Lawson
Superintendent