The Marion County School Board voted unanimously Thursday morning to push back the start date once again to Monday, Aug. 17. The motion was made by board member Wendy Hammonds and seconded by board member Larry Jenkins.
Marion County Schools were originally scheduled to begin Aug. 6, but was postponed until Aug. 10.
Director of Curriculum Michael Day stood in for Superintendent Wendy Bracey and made the recommendation based on Gov. Tate Reeves’ guidance and on the fact that all the necessary sanitation supplies have not been received. By allowing an extra week, it would give more time for everything to be cleaned and ready when schools open their doors on Aug. 17.
“We are prepared with training our teachers on the CDC guidelines. All staff has been trained. Supplies coming in this morning (Thursday) from the Coast would put supplies in all our schools sites as far as sanitizers and dividers for the desks to keep kids separated and facial masks,” Day said.
The district is providing each student with five cloth masks at the beginning of each nine weeks.
Day also said another large shipment was expected Thursday, and from that shipment hand sanitizer stations would be set up at all schools. A team was ready to help set all of the equipment.
Board member Larry Jenkins asked if all the required stations for sanitation have been established. Day responded there was a blueprint for each school that maps out exactly where each station will be set up.
Jenkins also asked about the field houses for the athletic programs. He wanted to make sure there were multiple stations so it was not 40 young men standing in line to use one dispenser of hand sanitizer. Day said they have two sets of guidelines to follow, one from the CDC and the other from the Mississippi High School Activities Association. Day said he would double check and make sure and has already met with both athletic directors to make sure they are following the guidelines.
Jenkins asked if there was a budget to address the sanitary needs. Director of Finance Melinda Trahan said they were using funds from is the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Fund (ESSER) through the CARES Act.
“A deep concern for our community and for me and probably our board members is that we have everything in place,” Jenkins said.
“The principals have done a good job as best as they can preparing their staff,” Day said.
Jenkins said he was also concerned about the custodial staff. He said he believed custodial staff needs hire to help and believes the CARES Act and ESSER funds will pay for the extra staff.
Hutto concurred with Jenkins on the need for additional staff.
Day said he would get with Bracey and Trahan to look at the funding and see what can be done.
“As a board, we want that done,” Jenkins said.
Hammonds asked when do the students get their temperature taken, and Day answered when the students get to the schools.
Board member Eric Hutto asked how the bus situation was being handled to accommodate the social distancing and how many would be on a bus. Day said it would just depend because families can sit together but most likely would be a little more than 20 people.
Hutto inquired about the classrooms and social distancing. Day said the target area in the classrooms is 20-23 students. Everyone must wear masks he said; there will also be dividers to place on the students’ desks to separate them from other students.
Day said 620 students have signed up for distance learning.
“What prompted us to meet today if you listened to the governor on Tuesday, I believe he made a statement that if he was a superintendent he would delay reopening until the 17th of August. One of the state’s professional teachers associations has the same recommendation and our discussion is to consider that recommendation or advice,” Board President Richard Culliver said.
By the students not coming until Aug. 17, it would provide more time for all the supplies to be delivered and installed. It would also give more time to work with the teachers to make sure the virtual learning part. He said this way it would have the least amount of impact on the hourly employees.
Discussion was held to postpone the start of school until September 1. One of the issues would be the effects it would have on some of the employees. Staff such as bus drivers, teachers’ assistants and cafeteria workers would not get paid for the month. An executive order was signed in Spring, Day said, for the workers to continue to get paid last school year, but not the new school year.
Trahan said the workers will be affected as is now for one week. Each delay will affect their pay, she said.
To keep the school schedule from moving into June, three days were added to the end of the year, and Oct. 23 and Presidents’ Day will now be school days. The amended schedule was approved.
The next school board meeting will be Monday, Aug. 10 p.m.
