From The Tribune staff reports
ST. CLAIR COUNTY — St. Clair County Schools will switch to staggered format classes starting Monday, January 24.
According to St. Clair County Superintendent Mike Howard, the decision to switch to staggered classes is to combat the surge of COVID-related cases in the St. Clair County Schools.
Staggered format classes is stage 2 out of 6 stages. This means the students will be attending classes depending on their last names.
Students whose last names start with A through K will attend classes on Monday and Tuesday. Students whose last names start with L through Z will attend classes on Thursday and Friday.
“Wednesday is an E-Learning Day for everyone,” Howard said.
An E-Learning day means that Wednesday will be online instruction with teacher teaching live as scheduled by the school; independent virtual learning on days off-campus is required.
The switch to staggered classes also means:
- Personnel: On-campus all 5 days
- Special Education: All self-contained/small group students will be allowed to attend all five days (without a staggered schedule)
- CNP: Monday pickups for three days of meals will be available to cover days not on campus
- ECTC: students attend all four days at this location only; remain staggered for their high school
The schools will provide hand sanitizing stations throughout facilities, sanitizing will be completed daily, water fountains will be cleaned and sanitized regularly, but students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles. Schools will limit the use of classroom materials to small groups and disinfect between uses or provide adequate supplies to assigned for individual student use, classrooms will be sanitized, and social distancing encouraged when feasible.
Facial coverings are not required but are allowed and strongly recommended. All visitors are required to wear facial coverings. Children who fall ill at school will be placed in a designated quarantine area with a facial covering in place, and the parent/caregiver will be called to pick the child up from school. Positive cases are REQUIRED to isolate (per ADPH), and letters will be sent to parents if a positive case is within the classroom/bus (ADPH enforces quarantines for exposures and contact traces).
If a student rides the bus, they are required to wear a facial covering (mandated by the USDOT), hand sanitizer will be provided upon entry on the bus, and sanitation before and after routes.
The goal for St. Clair County Schools in the 2021-2022 school year is to return to normal as soon as possible, which means no limitations to events, but face coverings and social distancing is encouraged.
For more information about the switch can be found at SCCBOE.org under COVID Updates.