Iredell Elementary Schools To Reopen To Students 5 Days A Week

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — Elementary students in grades K-5 in Iredell-Statesville Schools will have an option to return to class instruction with minimal social distancing five days a week starting the week of Oct. 5, ISS Superintendent Jeff James announced Thursday afternoon.

The news comes as North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that schools around the state will soon be allowed the option to switch to "Plan A" instruction, which reduces social distancing requirements in classrooms. The plan allows more students back into classrooms at one time while retaining a list of safety protocols, such as temperature checks and mandatory mask use inside school buildings. The new plan, however, will not apply to students in grades 6-12. Those older students must still receive instruction through a hybrid in-person plan or by full-remote instruction.

“We are excited to welcome back all elementary school students five days a week. We will use the next two weeks to solidify plans and schedules to ensure a smooth transition," James said.

SEE ALSO: Cooper Loosens COVID-19 Restrictions For NC Elementary Schools

This year, the school district has operated under the "Plan B" hybrid plan that allows for in-person instruction in reduced numbers in classrooms. The district said there have been no student-to-student or student-to-adult infections, and "limited quarantine situations."

The school district reports weekly the number of COVID-19 cases present in its schools, however, does not indicate if the cases are of students, teachers or staff. On Aug. 17, all seventh graders at Third Creek Middle Schools in Statesville began the school year with two weeks of remote learning after a COVID-19 case was confirmed associated with the school. The following week, the district reported a dozen positive COVID-19 cases, and during the week of Aug. 31, at least eight positive coronavirus cases were reported at seven ISS schools. Last week, two additional cases were reported.

“It will be important to continue with our COVID-19 protocols as much as possible,” James said. “In order to safely bring all our elementary students back to school full-time, we will continue to
enforce enhanced cleaning and sanitizing as well as mask wearing. We’ll offer mask breaks when students are six feet apart, and we will encourage schedules that keep students with their classmates to limit potential exposure as much as possible.”

The change will force families to make a decision about the remainder of the semester, James said.

“Families need to have discussions now about the remainder of the first semester," he said. "Students can either come to school full-time or learn virtually full-time. We simply don’t have the resources to allow families to switch back and forth between Plan A and Plan C."

SEE ALSO:

• NC COVID-19 Cases Surge More Than 1,500, Hospitalizations Dip
• CMS School Board Votes To Return Students To Classes In Phases
  
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