The Vermilion Parish School Board has approved their plans for getting students back to school.
After heated debates last week, the council had to return to continue their meeting on Monday. The meeting on Thursday lasted more than 5 hours.
The meeting was a much calmer one, with the board deciding to vote on on the proposal that will allow students and facility to start on different dates.
The school system approved to send students back to campus using an A/B schedule with different groups reporting to school physically on certain days.
Girls in in grades 1st-5th will report on August 27. Also on that day, group A for middle and high schools student will report to school. On August 28, boys in grades 1st - 5th will return to school. Group B for middle and high school will return to campus.
Information on groups will be sent in a letter to students at a later date.
All students in grades 1st - 5th will report to school on August 31st. The School Board says that Kindergarten and Pre-K students will have a different schedule.
Nearly 1000 students have been enrolled in the Vermilion Parish schools virtual program. The schools system believes the program will help greatly with social distancing.
Tori Garner's children will be just a few of the many going virtual this year
"My children will be going virtual because I have that is high risk. If I have one, all 3 will have to go, virtual and see how," Garner said.
Garner believes the virtual teaching this could help with less students in the classroom. There are some downfalls.
"There's a big issue when you have 25 people in one classroom that are three feet apart, if that. That's a concern to me," she said.
A survey conducted by the board received 6000 responses. From that survey the board made their decisions on the start of school.
The school board agrees that things can change as they monitor the pandemic. For one board member it hits close to home for him.
After losing his mother to COVID-19, board member Jason Roy wants everyone to take the pandemic seriously.
"I know first hand how devastating this pandemic can be. i hear even some employees thinking this is a hoax,. it's all a conspiracy from government. If you believe that, I have a funeral to attend Saturday and another one on Wednesday. Come sit down and tell me at the end you still think it's a hoax. It's not, " Roy said.
During Monday's meeting the board also said some of the younger students will have sneeze and cough shields to make sure they are safe, even if they don't have a mask on.
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