Anson Superintendent to plan for students’ return to class

WADESBORO — The Anson County School Board voted unanimously for the superintendent to create a Plan B outline to move forward with bringing back students in-person during the monthly meeting on Sept. 27.

Until the further instruction by the board, the district will continue to run virtually. Superintendent Howard McLean recommended that the school system stay in Plan C after weeks of consulting with leaders of other regional school systems, but the board elected to create a plan that will bring students back to class.

From August’s board meeting to this most recent one, McLean said the county had 151 new COVID-19 cases. When he looked to South Piedmont Community College, he saw the college decided not to move forward with in-person classes. Of the ten principals McLean talked with, eight expressed concerns with returning. With the added threat of the flu season coming, McLean is afraid of cases increasing, leading to his recommendation of staying in Plan C.

The board members acted based on concerns expressed by parents that their children were not comprehending the material taught virtually, among other complaints. McLean’s Plan B will be reviewed then voted on at a special meeting on Oct. 12.

McLean has flexibility in putting together a plan that will following the state’s Plan B format. From now until the special meeting in October, McLean will be working with his leadership team and principals to create the best plan of action in bringing back the students, whether that is only elementary students or following a mixed schedule.

McLean said during the meeting Monday he will have to look at every part of the school day to ensure both students and staff stay safe.

Transitioning into an in-person plan will change the district’s nutrition services, which has been delivering breakfast and lunches by bus. The bus system will also have to adapt because of the need to keep the students distanced.

Until the potential approval of moving to in-person classes, students will continue learning online and for those who are still in need of connectivity, McLean said the hotspots and laptops are in.

The district has received half of the Pilgrim’s donation of hotspots and laptops last week. McLean is now working on moving forward to distributing the items. The families in need of connectivity decreased, according to McLean, as many parents have made commitments to go out and purchase their own laptops or hotspots. But that number of families could still increase as those with multiple students may need additional hotspots for each student in order for them to connect at the same time.

Schools are still providing hard drives or hard copies of material for the families who have not yet received their laptops and hotspots.

A decision on whether to bring athletics back was tabled until the next meeting, as the board wished to wait to hear about the re-entry plan for all students.