The Warren County Board of Education has affirmed Superintendent Rob Clayton’s decision to resume classes in-person next week.
School board members voted 3-2 Monday night on a reopening plan that includes both in-person and online instruction.
Students who chose to participate in the virtual academy will see no changes, but students who prefer in-person classes will be separated into two groups. Each group will attend in-person classes two days a week and be home three days a week for virtual instruction.
Superintendent Clayton says even though the district is beginning in-person classes on Aug. 24, he is prepared to shut schools down if warranted by the coronavirus.
“We’re looking at it as a soft opening," Clayton told WKU Public Radio. "We’ll get our students in, in a manageable number. We’ll be able to ensure if we do need to move to a virtual format districtwide, these students have the resources available to increase their opportunities for success in that format.”
Clayton said area health officials are in support of resuming in-person classes based on local COVID-19 data.
Most of the parents who spoke at the meeting preferred the district offer traditional classroom instruction five days a week, citing concerns about child care and their students falling behind academically.
Warren County is among several Kentucky school districts going against Governor Andy Beshear’s recommendation to delay in-person classes until at least the end of September. Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown said last week that districts could face a state shutdown for starting classes prematurely.
