North Carolina public schools must operate under ‘Plan B’ health and safety requirements for the 2020/2021 school year, unless they opt to go with the more restrictive ‘Plan C’. North Carolina schools may choose between ‘Plan B’ and ‘Plan C’. Jones County Board of Education unanimously approved ‘Plan B’ for reopening schools on August 17th.

“We understand this is a difficult time for staff, students, and parents, but we wanted to do everything in our power to provide a safe start to the school year,” said David Moody, Jones County Assistant Superintendent.

Each of Jones County students will be assigned Group A or Group B. Families will be assigned to the same group. On Monday and Tuesdays, Group A students will attend face-to-face instruction on campus while Group B learns remotely. On Wednesdays, all buildings will be cleaned and sanitized while the teachers use the time for planning and tutoring. Thursday and Friday will have Group A learning remotely and Group B with face-to-face instructions to ensure that all students have the same opportunity for equal in-person instruction.

The Board of Education gathered information from their teachers, as well as the parents in the community, to create a hybrid model that incorporates both state and federal safety guidelines. Social distancing will be enforced with all classrooms set up with desks 6 feet apart. Masks will be provided and required for all students and staff with times available for masks to be removed.

“Under the current restrictions within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines, we are only able to sit one person per bus seat, so in essence a 72-passenger bus seats 24 and a 66-passenger bus will hold 22 students,” said Moody.

Parents will have to be present when their children get on the bus. Each child will be asked health-related questions before they get on the bus, and their temperature taken. No child will be permitted on the bus if they have symptoms. The children, who have their temperature taken on the bus, will not have to have it taken again to enter the school. Those who do not ride the bus will have their temperature taken prior to entering the building.

Breakfast and lunch will be made available for students participating in remote learning. Students who are full-time remote learners will be given instruction by his/her grade level teacher.

The list of designated groups for each child will be released on August 3rd and the rotation will be communicated through the local schools.