Students in the Christian County Public School System are heading back to school in some type of in-person format, following approval by the Christian County School Board Thursday.
Superintendent Chris Bentzel made the recommendation for high school and middle school students to return on a hybrid model, while elementary schools student will return to a traditional, five days a week plan. He says he feels it’s in the best interest of students to go in-person, and the first day of school would be September 8.
That’s for students who have previously been learning via Non-Traditional Instruction, while those enrolled in the Virtual Learning Academy will continue learning online as planned. The middle and high schools have released calendars showing how students would go to school two days a week, broken into two groups, with Fridays serving as ‘virtual learning’ days.
Assistant Superintendent Laura Morris says new guidance has come from the state that students are required to wear masks while indoors at all times—she says schools have developed plans that would allow students to have regular ‘mask breaks’ in areas that allow for greater social distancing.
Students who have medical documentation explaining why they would be unable to wear a mask during school would be exempt from the requirement. Bentzel says they will monitor how the opening goes and could bring a different recommendation to bring the high schools back to traditional in-person instruction around fall break.
Bluegrass Learning Academy will be traditional, in-person instruction and the Day Treatment Center will stay on NTI for now.
Morris read a letter from the Christian County Health Department, which says it was their opinion that the school system not open to in-person instruction at this time, but they would respect the decision of the board and work with them to help keep students safe and healthy.
The board voted four to one to go back in-person, with board member Tom Bell the lone no vote.
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