SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Sylacauga City Schools plans to move from a four day per week schedule to five days per week beginning the first full week in April.
COVID related numbers in Sylacauga City Schools have greatly decreased to just a few isolated close-contact cases, and the school system no longer has the need for a full cleaning and sanitation day.
“Most of our students are back in the classroom each day with just a small percentage engaged in remote learning by principals’ approval, said Sylacauga City Schools superintendent Jon Segars. “We will maintain both our blended and virtual learning platforms for the remainder of the school year to ensure those with health concerns are cared for. For the summer and next school year, we will collapse our blended learning and only offer virtual platforms for those students requiring an alternative setting. We will administer summer school on all of our campuses to provide credit recovery for the students who qualify in grades 6 through 12 and provide summer remediation for grades K through 8.”
Here is an excerpt from Governor Ivey’s 25th Supplemental State of Emergency for COVID-19:
Effective March 22, all schools, public and private including elementary, secondary, post secondary, technical, and specialty schools, and colleges and universities shall comply with the following rules:
- Social distancing. Schools shall take reasonable steps, where practicable, to maintain six feet of separation between persons of different households, except that elementary, middle, and high schools shall take reasonable steps, where practicable, to maintain three feet of separation between students of different households.
- Sanitation. Schools shall take reasonable steps, where practicable, to regularly disinfect frequently used items and surfaces.
- Facial coverings. Each employee, and each student in second grade or above, shall, to the greatest extent practicable, wear a mask or other facial covering that covers his or her nostrils and mouth at all times when in regular interaction within six feet of a person from a different household.
Given this proclamation and the fact that 90 percent of students are back in the physical classroom with less separation, Sylacauga City Schools will keep the mask mandate in place, while monitoring the impact of spring break on local COVID conditions and guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health and the CDC.
Upon returning from spring break on March 29, each person must wear a mask to enter our facilities, students and employees will wear masks when within three feet of others, and during movement in common areas.
