By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–The first day of classes for Union City Schools has been pushed back a week.
System Director Wes Kennedy announced today — due to a continued rise in reported coronavirus cases in Obion County — UC Schools will not open for the 2020-21 school year until Aug. 17.
Kennedy also revealed several updated guidelines for when classes do begin, including a four-level plan that includes both traditional and distance learning — depending upon updated statistics from COVID-19.
“This was not necessarily what we wanted, but it’s best for our students,” Kennedy said, after extensive meetings with administrators from all three Union City School System campuses and consultation with the several members of the healthcare industry.
“We are in constant communication with health officials and monitoring everything that goes into opening school safely for our students and their parents. As I’ve said many times, this is a fluid situation that changes, often on a daily basis.”
Due to current social distancing guidelines in place, students will be divided into two groups for the first week of classes and will attend part-time only.
Students with last names beginning from A-L will report to their respective schools Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 17 and 18), with students whose last names begin with letters M-Z coming to school Wednesday and Thursday (Aug. 19 and 20). A teacher re-group and professional development day has been scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21, with no classes for students.
Kennedy will then re-evaluate all factors and decide at which of four levels the 2020-21 school year will begin.
The levels are:
LEVEL 1: Classes will be offered in a traditional setting with no restrictions. Digital learning will be offered.
LEVEL 2: Classes will be offered in a traditional setting with students following social distancing to the extent possible. Digital learning will be offered. Face masks will be required on buses and will be highly recommended in grades PreK-4 when social distancing is not feasible. Face masks will be required in grades 5-12 when indoors and social distancing is not feasible.
LEVEL 3: PreK-4th grade will attend classes on campus spread over all of the UC Schools buildings. Grades 5-12 will be on a hybrid plan. That plan will include two days in-person and two days online instruction at home each week for UC Middle School students (Grades 5-8) and one day in-person and three days online instruction at home for UC High School students. Friday will be a “flex” day each week, used for various needs of both teachers and students, and will be conducted both online and in-person.
LEVEL 4: All learning will take place online at home, with the UC Schools faculty using the “Teams” platform.
Additional details of each plan — including meals, cleaning of the campus facilities and classrooms, transportation and extracurricular activities — can be found in an attached document.
In the event of mandatory distance learning, students at both UCHS and UCMS will be provided with a school-issued laptop that may be picked up at those respective schools. Students may also use their own personal laptops or computers.
Kennedy will make the call on Friday each week, regarding which plan will be in place on the following Monday.
The new scheduled start will also include several added professional development days for UCSS teachers. They will report for those sessions on Wednesday, Aug. 5, for instruction and learning, completing that week and then training four days the following week. Distance learning orientation for those students who signed up for that plan will be held for students at their respective schools on Aug. 14.
Other than the later-than-scheduled start, the remainder of the previously-announced school calendar will remain the same.