On April 15, Governor Bill Lee announced that all school buildings in Tennessee would remain closed through the end of the school year 2019-20.
“This decision has caused a great deal of concern and disappointment for our students, staff, and families,” said Wayne County Director of Schools Marlon Davis. “The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has presented us all with some of the most challenging times we have ever experienced in the Wayne County community. I really hate that all of our students didn’t get to complete the school year, and I especially sympathize with the Senior Class of 2020 as they didn’t get the full experience of their final weeks of high school.”
The closures will continue to affect all programming, including before- and after-school activities, all athletic and extracurricular practices and competitions, and all weekend events.
Tentative dates for graduation ceremonies have been reset as follows: Frank Hughes School, Tuesday, June 9th; Collinwood High School, Thursday, June 11th; and Wayne County High School, Friday, June 12th. Director Davis emphasized that those dates are still subject to change, due to the ever-changing, day-to-day evolution of the COVID-19 situation and public gatherings.
The last day of school for students was previously scheduled for May 20th. “We will continue providing learning resources until that date, just as we have over the past several weeks,” said Director Davis. “We encourage all families to keep their students engaged in these activities to ensure learning continues to take place.”
The Nutrition Program distribution dates will continue to be every Tuesday. All parents and guardians of school-aged children are encouraged to check www.waynetn.net for distribution locations, or call the Wayne County Board of Education at 722-3548 to get more information about the feeding program. All families are encouraged to take advantage of this free opportunity.
Parents are also encouraged to check with your child’s school principal or staff for continued updates, and/or visit www.waynetn.net for more information on school and education-related matters.
“We want to thank our families for their patience, understanding, and flexibility during this unprecedented time,” Director Davis said. “We will get through this together. Please continue to stay safe, practice social distancing, and remain at home as much as possible. Do your part, stay apart.”
