The Crockett County School System is continuing to work through plans for the 2020-21 academic year.
While the school board has met numerous times over the summer to ensure a quality educational experience while meeting state demands, a final decision has yet to be made.
The board met on Monday, July 13 to finalize a tentative plan but from Monday night to Tuesday morning, additional concerns led the board to call an additional meeting on July 22. Crockett has seen the positive COVID-19 cases increase nearly a fourth of their total cases over those two days.
According to Director of Schools Phillip A. Pratt, the Crockett County School System did receive the CARES act funding to assist in the purchase of technology for online learning and a large order has been placed for computers and online learning software for those individuals who will be utilizing online learning. Currently, the exact date the schools will receive these items is unknown. Every school system that received the funding placed orders for this technology around the same time and it has slowed the process of schools receiving their equipment.
Pratt said, “The board has to take in to consideration the health and safety of students and faculty. We are focused on providing students with a quality education, transportation for those who need it and supplying students with the tools needed to learn. Right now, in our rural community there are challenges that have to be considered. Every student doesn’t have Internet access or access to a computer. We are working with local Internet providers in getting hotspots set up for students without Internet service but at this time, the computers aren’t here to distribute to students. This is also the hottest week we have had this summer, students having to sit in cars around the school buildings to have access to the Internet using hotspots would not work in this heat. We have to consider the health, safety and educational needs of all of our students.”
Governor Bill Lee is set to speak to the state on Wednesday, July 15. Pratt is hoping the school will be able to release more details soon.
