By John Estridge
Franklin County High School has six students who have tested positive, causing more than 150 students to be placed on quarantine.
According to what Franklin County Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Debbie Howell reported on enrollment at the school board meeting Monday night, September 14, there are 726 high school students, with 574 attending in person and 152 doing remote learning. That means the number of students on quarantine is at least 26 percent of the in-person student population when using the number 150.
That has caused the school to adopt a hybrid schedule, meaning students will attend school on certain days and do remote learning on the other days. This is for grades 9-12 only.
This is the email sent out to high school parents at 4:55 p.m., Tuesday, September 15. It is from Howell.
Announcement of Change to Hybrid Model for FCHS
At this time we have six (6) positive student cases of COVID-19 at Franklin County High School. As a result 150+ students have been quarantined, including the girls soccer team and both the JV and Varsity football teams.
After consulting with the FC Health Department, FCEA Discussion Team, and FCHS Administration, we feel it is in the best interest of our staff and students to move Franklin County High School to a “hybrid model”. High school students will be divided in half. Students with last names beginning with A-K will attend “in person” on Mondays and Wednesdays. Students with last names beginning with L-Z will attend “in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On days students are not “in person” they will be working remotely from home. All FCHS students will work from home on Fridays; giving teachers the opportunity to engage students in small group meetings, individual conferences, and for planning.
In order to “prepare” for this change ALL 9-12 students will have an eLearning day on Wednesday, September 16th.
On Thursday, September 17th A-K students will attend “in person” and on Friday, September 18th L-Z students will attend “in person”.
On Monday, September 21st the following hybrid schedule will begin:
Monday, September 21st– A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Tuesday, September 22nd– L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Wednesday, September 23rd– A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Thursday, September 24th – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Friday, September 25th – All 9-12 students remote
Monday, September 28th – A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Tuesday, September 29th – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Wednesday, September 30th – A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Thursday, October 1st – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Friday, October 2nd – All 9-12 students remote
Monday, October 5th – A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Tuesday, October 6th – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Wednesday, October 7th – A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Thursday, October 8th – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Friday, October 9th – No school- Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, October 12th – A-K in-person; L-Z remote
Tuesday, October 13th – L-Z in-person; A-K remote
Wednesday, October 14th – All 9-12 students remote (end of 9 weeks)
Thursday, October 15th – All 9-12 students return to in-person
Other points of clarification:
- Hybrid model will operate through the remainder of this grading period (last day October 14th)
- Grades PreK-8 will follow their traditional schedule
- Students that attend the Whitewater Career Center will continue to do so EVERY DAY, Monday through Friday, (exceptions September 16th and October 9th.) We will continue to provide transportation for WCC students and provide a “work space” at the high school for them to use during their “remote” days.
- With only half the students in attendance at a time; seating charts will be reworked so that no student is assigned a seat that is within 6 feet of another student. This should minimize the “quarantine effect”.
- For students that struggle with internet access at home during their scheduled remote days; the high school will have a work space available to them.
- Transportation will only be provided for high school students on their scheduled remote days. (Exception is Whitewater Career Center students.)
- Each Monday, 3 days of breakfasts and lunches will be available to students for their remote days.
- After-school practices and activities may continue.