Paris, Tenn.–School will resume in Paris Special School District on August 3, 2020.
Director of Schools Dr. Norma Gerrell said, “As our PSSD leadership has consulted with local healthcare experts throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we feel confident that the safety measures we will have in place for students, staff, families, and visitors will provide the necessary protection to stay on schedule to begin the 2020-2021 school year.”
PSSD is building three plans based on the level of community spread of COVID-19 as determined by state and local health officials. Plan A will be in place when we have no spread to minimal spread of the virus in Paris & Henry County. Plan A is a traditional school experience with school buildings open and buses running. There will be preventative practices in place with added measures of extra sanitizing, teaching and reinforcing good hygiene measures, illness protocols, and other proactive measures and precautions that will be shared in weeks to come.
Plan B will be put into place if there is minimal to moderate spread of COVID-19 in Paris & Henry County as determined by state and local health officials. In a minimal to moderate spread, Plan B would include more intensive mitigation strategies with enhanced social distancing and possible staggered learning schedules. Plan C starts with substantial spread of the COVID-19 virus in Paris & Henry Co. as determined by state and local health officials. This substantial spread would move most of our students to distance or remote learning opportunities. Meals would be delivered by transportation department or picked up by families.
School officials asked parents to take the family survey provided if you have not already done so. With the 400+ families who have already shared their feedback, we know that some families will not be comfortable sending their children back to a traditional learning experience.
Paris Special School District will offer a virtual school model with distance learning to any PSSD student for the 2020-2021 school year. There will be no cost to families who choose this option. Your student will be provided with the necessary technology, materials, and supplies needed to thrive in an off-campus learning program. If you know that this is the choice your family plans to use, please call Mr. Joey Brush at 642-9322 ext. 3 so that we can begin this process.
Back-To-School communication, links to the re-entry survey, links to the parent registration, and specific plans will be added to our website regularly at: www.parisssd.org Each update will be announced on social media as well.