The Wilson County School Board approved to delay the start of school two weeks until Aug. 17, because of the rise in new COVID-19 cases.
The board approved the new calendar at a meeting called Saturday by a 5-2 vote.
The district was scheduled to start classes Monday, Aug. 3, and teacher training was scheduled to start on Monday. Teacher training will now start Aug. 10.
The district's fall, winter and spring breaks will remain the same with the new calendar, but the final day of school will be pushed back to June 4, from May 21.
Wilson County Director of Schools Donna Wright also announced plans to implement a modified hybrid model to start the school year for grades K-12. The hybrid model combines in-person and virtual learning to reduce the number of students and staff together with more details to be released.
The district previously gave students options to move forward with traditional in-person classes five days a week or an all virtual learning model.
The hybrid model would be used through at least Oct. 2, which is the Friday leading into fall break, Wright said.
Just over 20 percent of students selected the virtual option where they will remain, according to the district.
Students who were in the traditional option will be placed into the hybrid model.
Students who picked the virtual option have until 3:30 p.m., July 29, to opt into the hybrid model if they choose. However, the virtual-only option is now closed.
Wright has the authority to revise the re-entry plan if necessary based on recent board approval, district spokesman Bart Barker said.
Pushing back the start date gives the district and families “a little more time to figure it out,” board member Chad Karl said of the calendar change and hybrid model.
Wilson County is projected to have more than 19,000 students for the 2020-2021 school year. Wright cited the need to protect students and the district's approximate 1,300 teachers and near 1,000-member support staff for the calendar change.
"The risk of COVID is real," Wright said to the board Saturday.
The district has been out of school since March 3, when West Wilson Middle and Stoner Creek Elementary schools were substantially damaged by an early morning tornado and displaced about 1,700 students and 150 staff members from the two schools.
The tornado led into closures recommended by the state for all school systems because of the pandemic that effectively finished the 2019-2020 academic year.
The Lebanon Special School District announced on Friday it will start the 2020-2021 school year with a blended model through at least Sept. 4, going into the Labor Day weekend.
Students in the "A" group with last names that start with letters A-K will attend physical classes on Tuesday and Thursday and connect virtually the other days of the week, Director of Schools Scott Benson said.
Students in the "B" group with last names that start with letters L-Z will attend physical classes on Wednesday and Friday and connect virtually the other days of the week.
The Lebanon Special School District is scheduled to start classes on Monday, Aug. 10, with a “phase-in” period Aug. 3-7, when students will go to their school one day during the week with one parent.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
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Wilson County Schools push back start date two weeks because of COVID-19 - Tennessean
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