THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

At their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, October 5, 2020, the Granville County Board of Education approved a new timetable for the gradual, staggered shift for students to return to school.

Currently, the district is in the process of welcoming students back to school under Plan B. Plan B allows for different groups of students to physically return to school on different days of the week. Under this plan, strict social distancing is required along with other safety protocols mandated by the state. COVID symptom screening and the use of face masks are mandatory for all persons entering school grounds.

The Board also approved a shift to Plan A for elementary students, as allowed under the Governor’s recent executive order, which allows these grade levels of students to return to school in one single group, with relaxed restrictions on social distancing.

The Board approved this new plan with input from a wide range of stakeholders, including our local health care professionals, parents, teachers, administrators and students. The chart below references the specific dates for transitions for different grade levels as the district gradually shifts toward more students attending school in person.

It was also shared at the meeting that families should remain flexible, as schools could potentially shift back to full remote learning in the event there was a shift in the readiness indicators. This could include a sudden rise in COVID cases, clusters within schools, or issues related to school staffing availability or operational readiness.

GCPS will report suspected, presumptive, or positive cases of COVID-19 to the Granville-Vance Health Department and work with them for follow-up and conduct contact tracing. If a person with COVID-19 was in a GCPS facility while infectious, staff will coordinate with local health officials to notify affected employees and families.

Because of the district’s obligation to protect the privacy of students and employees as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) federal laws, the district cannot release specific information about a confirmed case. The names of the people affected and other personally identifiable information will be provided to public health officials in accordance with reporting requirements; however, this information will not be released to the public or the media.

Unless a positive COVID-19 case results in a significant disruption of a campus’ ability to safely operate or deliver instruction, only those identified as close contacts will be notified.

In the event of a reported cluster, it may be necessary for a school to shift to fully remote learning for a certain period of time. Staff and families should be prepared for potential shifts to online instruction if they become necessary. Any changes to a school’s instructional plan will be communicated to families with as much notice as the circumstances allow.