By Lee Bratcher/OC Monitor
HARTFORD, Ky. — After getting the go-ahead on his 2020-2021 re-opening plan from the Ohio County School Board, Ohio County Schools Superintendent Seth Southard was thrown a curveball by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Education. While Ohio County Schools were to begin school Aug. 26 using its hybrid A/B model instruction which would have a number of the students in school receiving in-person instruction, Gov. Beshear and the KDE recommended no in-person instruction until Sept. 28.
Tuesday afternoon Southard posted a message and video on the Ohio County Public Schools Facebook page with an update saying he and the Ohio County Board of Education would follow the recommendations of the governor and the KDE.
Instead of beginning the school year under a yellow light, using Southard’s and the Board of Education’s stoplight analogy for in-person instruction, the school year will begin under a red light. A red light means those who selected in-person classroom instruction would begin the year remotely with Ohio County teachers teaching classes from their classroom digitally.
The yellow light scenario approved at last week’s special-called Ohio County School Board meeting would have used the hybrid A/B model for those who wanted in-person instruction. The green light scenario would be used if it were safe enough for all those who wanted in-person instruction to be able to attend school five days a week.
Those who never planned on coming to school for in-person instruction will begin the school year as planned, either virtually using Odysseyware, for those with internet access, or through NTI/paper-based for those who don’t have internet.
For those who signed up for virtual instruction, but have changed their mind and want to switch to in-person classroom instruction, call the Board of Education at 270-298-3249. The deadline to sign up for virtual instruction has been extended until 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020.
To see the full video update from Southard, see below.
