By Mike Hutchens UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City Schools Director Wes Kennedy said Tuesday evening Union City Schools will adhere to Gov. Bill Lee’s recommendation that all Tennessee school districts remain closed due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Lee announced during his daily briefing Tuesday afternoon that Tennessee schools should remain closed for another month, just over a week after he first urged districts around the state to shut down through the end of March.
Lee said in his address that schools should remain closed until at least April 24.
Kennedy reacted by stating UC Schools would abide by the governor’s direction after first announcing last week that Union City’s three school campuses would be shut down until April 13 due to the coronavirus concerns. The last of those three weeks was an already-scheduled Spring Break from April 6-10.
Kennedy said he’d scheduled a meeting with his school administrators and other UCSS personnel for Wednesday morning to discuss plans moving forward with continued learning via online teaching and other avenues.
“These are unchartered waters that we’re attempting to navigate, and I want to get ideas and suggestions from our highly-qualified people before we make more decisions on how to proceed with these extra two weeks of educating our students,” Kennedy said.
The Union City DOS also insisted he plans to continue with the system’s daily meal delivery after Spring Break. Volunteers and school personnel are currently handing out food prepared by cafeteria personnel to any child under 18 on each of eight bus stops and two “grab-and-go” locations (Kiwanis Park and Save-A-Lot).
That practice will continue through this week and next week, before resuming on April 13, following the aforementioned Spring Break.
In a related development Tuesday, state Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said the DOE has secured a partnership with PBS to offer instructional content on television while students are at home – beginning April 6.
Making the announcement to reporters via video conference Tuesday, Schwinn said the public broadcasting channel had joined forces with the state “in very short order” and would be showing “actual lessons” while students are at home.
“We recognize that not all children have access to Internet at home,” Schwinn said.
She also said the state is working on making assignments and lessons available via radio.