SALISBURY – Questions about student instruction, teacher accountability and school bus contractors highlighted a discussion between county leaders and school board officials last week.
In a meeting of the Wicomico County Council last week, members of the Wicomico County Board of Education met with county leaders to answer questions surrounding the school system’s recovery plan for the coming academic year.
“This plan has been finalized,” Superintendent Donna Hanlin said, “but we do consider it a working document and we will tweak things as we move along.”
Earlier this month, Hanlin presented the school system’s recovery plan for the academic year, which will start virtually this fall. While the school system will focus on remote learning for the first semester, Hanlin made it clear to the county council last week she hoped to reintroduce larger groups of students into buildings by October.
“While we announced this is for the first semester, we hope it will be the worst-case scenario,” she said. “We all want our children back in school, but we will do so when it’s safe to do that.”
During a public comment portion of last week’s meeting, students and parents made a plea with county leaders to have high school seniors be among the first groups of students back in school. Some parents noted the proposed virtual learning plan for high school students conflicted with dual enrollment courses at Wor-Wic Community College.
When asked to address those concerns last week, Hanlin said scheduling for dual enrollment courses would be handled by school guidance counselors. She encouraged families to call the schools with scheduling questions.
“Guidance counselors are working with students and families to make sure their schedules are set up to allow for that travel time and that opportunity to go to Wor-Wic,” she said.
While he acknowledged the seniors’ desires to spend the last year in school, Wicomico County Board of Education Vice Chair Gene Malone said the school system’s decision was made in an abundance of caution.
“It was safety,” he said, “and we just have to move forward and see how it goes.”
Hanlin noted the recovery plan included periods of in-person instruction for career and technology education, special education, English language learners and gifted and talented learners.
“One of the groups I’m particularly concerned about and may be next in our thinking would be our youngest students, our prekindergarten and kindergarten students,” she said.
Councilman Joe Holloway said he had heard concerns about teaching locations. He asked how the school system would handle educators who didn’t want to return to school buildings.
“I’ve heard concerns from teachers about going back into the classrooms,” he said. “What happens if a teacher is called back and they say they’re not going to go?”
Hanlin replied school administrators would work to accommodate staff.
“Teachers are being required to commit to where they’re teaching, so they can teach from an alternative location,” she said. “If they have an underlying health condition, for example, they can teach from home.”
Holloway also asked if the school system had considered offering virtual instruction on nights and weekends for students of working parents.
“We have talked about recording classes to give parents that opportunity,” Hanlin replied. “We haven’t come to a decision yet because we really want that interaction in a classroom setting with all students and a teacher … You also have the legal aspects of recording class.”
Hanlin noted some parents have opted to form learning pods – in which parents share teaching and monitoring duties – while others are exploring childcare options. She said the school system was also exploring partnership opportunities with community organizations.
“We’re also working with other community leaders to look into childcare possibilities where organizations are assisting in that way,” she said. “It’s a really real challenge.”
Councilwoman Nicole Acle asked how school officials were handling bus contracts for the coming fall.
“Would funds be transferred somewhere else?” she said.
Hanlin said the school system continues to explore opportunities that would support the bus drivers.
“We don’t want any bus contractor to lose their livelihood, to not be able to pay for their bus, but there has to be a balance of using taxpayer dollars responsibility and also utilizing our bus drivers as much as we can in other ways …,” she said. “We are looking not only at bus drivers, but at every individual staff position and repurposing the job or looking for ways to keep people solvent while using taxpayer dollars efficiently and prudently.”
School officials said families with questions or concerns about the recovery plan should contact their schools.
“We want to hear what’s working and what’s not working, and we will continue to tweak the plan based upon what’s in the best interest of our students …,” Hanlin said. “I’m sure it will continue to evolve.”
