The Magee Courier from Magee, Mississippi • A3

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 A3 HE AGEE OURIER FROM PAGE1 amount of $250. Sheriff Paul Mullins announced that as of right now the county will be able to keep utilizing prison labor. He explained that as long as department heads continue to ensure that inmates are wearing proper PPE, prison labor should not be a problem. County Administrator Rhuel Dickinson said they are currently going through a lot of PPE for prison laborers, which is putting a stress on the supply. It was suggested that if awarded the $10,000 from the Coro- navirus Emergency Supplemental Funding that it be used to purchase additional PPE.

Glenda Brown appeared before the board regarding the water bill of her mother, Mildred Carter, on 258 Shelly Road and 114 Jean Town Road saying that she believes her water line was damaged by the county road crew. Brown asked the county for assistance with the bill but was denied. Sup. Chatman moved to pay half the bill, but his motion died for lack of a second. Extensions were approved on emergency orders for bridge repairs and COVID-19.

A request from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks was approved for a 15 yard load of washed pea gravel to use for the Simpson County Lake repair project. The pea gravel will be used for bream beds. Dates were set by the board for budget work sessions. The board will meet for their recessed meeting on August 17 and after a brief break begin the budget work session. The work session will be continued on August 18 if necessary.

The board authorized the issuance of a check for $2,766.30 to Wolverton Engineering for supplemental bridge inspection on the Heed Neely Bridge replacement project. Board Attorney Danny Welch addressed a concern of Supervisor Mitchell Chatman about suspicious traffic parking on A Buckley Road. Welch asked Sheriff Mullins to increase patrols in the area and possibly issue citations. There is a plan for signs to be placed along A Buckley Road. Donnie Caughman with the Simpson County Development Foundation appeared before the board to make a budget request.

Caughman requested that supervisors budget 1 mil of tax money for economic development. He also revealed that Simpson County is still in the running for being the host of a new industry dealing with a wood pellet factory. The board acknowledged his request before moving to adjourn the meeting. BOS: County now able to use prison labor if workers issued PPE School Plan: Opening of school delayed from Aug. 6 to Aug 10 HE AGEE OURIER USPS 325-560 Established 1899 Periodical postage paid at the post office in Magee, MS 39111 Published weekly POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: The Magee Courier P.O.

Box 338, Magee, MS 39111 FROM PAGE1 school. One was to start back with traditional classes as usual. The second was a hybrid model in which students would be divided into groups A and with each group attending school two days a week Fridays would be reserved for remediation with identified students. The third possibility was to have no on-campus classes and do all instruction online, but the board expressed dissatisfaction with the results of online instruction done in the spring and rejected that plan. They decided to use either the traditional opening or the hybrid model, hopefully switching back to traditional on-campus classes as quickly as COVID-19 case numbers would allow.

District Superintendent Greg Paes selected the plan from the State Department of Education as being the most likely to be effective for Simpson County students. The hybrid model chosen combines traditional classroom work with online components. It calls for students to be divided into two groups, A and with the A group composed of students whose last names start with letters A through and the group being through with accommodations made where necessary. The A group will attend classes on Mondays and Fridays and the group on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fridays will be set aside for remediation and intervention with students who demonstrate a need for more academic help.

Sanders said that school staff will do everything possible to keep family groups on the same day. She explained that this plan gives every student two days of instruction by teachers, who will also assign work to be done on Off day work will be accomplished by the student independently using the program Google Classroom. Sanders assured the board that processes would be in place so that even students who do not have internet access would be able to access the program, possibly through a cellphone, and that full details of how to do this would be given to parents and students. Teachers and students will be thoroughly trained in the use of Google Classroom before work begins, she said. One of the objections to any online learning plan has been that some students in Simpson County do not have computers or do not have in- ternet access.

Sanders said that the district has requested federal CARES funds to help provide technology, and the district has some Chrome Books that they can make available to those who have no device. will be on a case-by-case, first-come- first-served she said. have to have some of the devices available for use in class. We have ordered more Chrome Books, but as you can imagine other districts are doing this and we may not be able to get any more until On Fridays, remediation will be available to students in the lower quartile of achievement. Cowart noted that these students who most need the extra help will profit from getting three days of teacher instruction since they will also be in either the A or group earlier in the week.

Teachers will work five days a week. Sanders assured the board that parents would get instructions on how to access teacher assistance for their children who need help on non-class days. To accommodate students with more severe health problems and those who have expressed a fear of going back on campus during the pandemic, especially with the spike in cases experienced during July, the board will allow students who wish to do so to attend virtual, or strictly online, classes. Parents who choose the virtual model for their students can apply to do so; however, they must prove that they can provide Google Classroom and have the appropriate inter- net capability and a suitable device. Applications for virtual learning must be in by Friday, July 31.

Sanders added several caveats for those considering the virtual learning plan. In addition to having the proper equipment, they need to know that virtual students are on an entirely separate online plan and are not to on-campus classes in the county schools or participating with them in any way. They will have separate courses and classes assigned on Google Classroom. They will also be given a specific schedule of classes which cannot be done at the own time or rate. They will be required to be online at specific times and their presence online will be documented for credit.

learning is an said Sanders, optimal learning is in the traditional She added that virtual students will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities such as band or sports. The calendar for school year 2020-2021 will be altered to accommodate the new plan if the board accepts it on Thursday. Instead of all students beginning class on August 6 as originally planned, the A group of students will start class on Monday, August 10, and the group on Tuesday, August 11. The original class days of August 6 and 7 will be used for teacher work days. Because the state requires that students attend classes for a prescribed number of days, however, students will make up the two days missed, one in January and one in February.

Board President Cowart questioned whether the appropriate amount of subject matter and material could be covered in the two days of in-class instruction. Dr. Sanders said that the State Department is reworking material to fit it in, and more material can be covered through Google Classroom. In presenting the plan, Sanders said, are asking that this model of A and days go forward the full nine weeks, to the end of the grading Cowart countered that this was a change the board discussed. They had discussed only applying the hybrid plan through perhaps the first two weeks of school or until Labor Day, then, if COVID-19 numbers are not substantially higher, going back to the traditional five days a week on campus.

He said that in the plans he had seen, other districts were going to begin with the A-B plan, then revert to the traditional schedule after about two weeks. Sanders said she thought that might cause inconsistencies in grading. She added that several districts are looking into using the hybrid plan for the entire first quarter ending in October. Several other significant procedures are covered in the proposed back to school plan, including bus transportation, student health protection procedures, and meals. Board members expressed a number of concerns about the specifics of the plan.

Cowart said that entrance to the schools should be restricted to keep students safe from people wandering in and contaminating the areas. Dr. Sanders reiterated that the state had imposed a two-week delay in the beginning of fall sports, we will abide by She again reminded the board that virtual students would not be allowed to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities. Board member Lillie Hardy requested that all the responsibilities implied in the plan at each level be written down and a COVID-19 manager be appointed for the district to make sure that everything was being down, such as parental forms being checked. She also asked whether a further delay of the opening of school should be considered.

think the plan is really well she said, but a lot that has to be done not specifically included in the No specific action was taken. Superintendent Paes commented that it is important that the taxpayers of the county see that this is an evolving plan, feeling our way through. We know all the costs yet, but the most important thing is to protect student He added, worry now about state reallocations and taking away some money from us. If reduced more than we expect, have to make it up Cowart expressed disappointment that a plan had not been devised and given to the board more quickly. He said he had looked at plans from other districts in early June that could have been adapted sooner for Simpson County.

He also said that board members had thought they were discussing the version of the hybrid plan they saw last week, only to be handed a revised plan at this meeting with only about 30 minutes to look it over. The board will meet again Thursday, July 23, to approve the plan as presented or make changes. Specific information and required forms for parents and students will then be posted on the school district website and Facebook page and on all county media outlets..