The Wayne County School Board made the decision last week to once again modify the in-person school schedule due to the recent increase in staff and student positive cases of COVID-19. Wayne County Director of Schools Marlon Davis issued the following statement on behalf of the School Board:
“The Wayne County School System continues to monitor COVID-19 cases within our schools and will take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of our students and employees. Daily management and decisions related to COVID involve utilizing the Tennessee Department of Health questionnaires, flow charts, and protocols. These decisions are made with student/staff safety in mind while also doing our best to offer a quality education for our students. We will adjust our plans at any point by re-evaluating the health situation and data.
“Due to the increased number of staff and student positive cases of COVID-19 and the staffing challenges that have occurred, the school board met and approved a pivot to an all distance learning model for the week of November 16-20. This also prohibits all extracurricular activities and athletics from November 15-28. After the Thanksgiving break, we will pivot to an AA/BB schedule with Wednesdays reserved for distance learners from November 30 – December 18.
“Our goal is to keep students in school, and we feel our educational product and outcomes are much better when students are attending in the classroom. We must seriously consider the health risks and staffing issues that occur with a rise in positive cases.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate through this school year.”
