Wayne County Public Schools will start planning to reopen under Plan “B,” meaning school buildings will have to be ready for some students to return in the fall.  The Wayne County Board of Education approved moving forward with the Plan “B” option during a special called meeting Monday.

School board member Jennifer Strickland made the motion for Plan “B” stating this will allow parents time to decide if their child will attend classes in-person or virtually and allow the district to plan accordingly.

Plan “B” — a blend of in-person and remote learning — still allows parents to opt their student out of in-person instruction in favor of remote learning, and WCPS has already started enrolling students in a virtual academy.  WCPS could still revert to strictly remote learning if ordered to do so by the state or if local COVID-19 numbers start spiking.

WCPS Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Dr. Tim Harrell explained the district is planning daily sanitizing efforts in every space that with students.

Dr. Harrell says the district is working on plans to ensure student meals are still available whether students attend in-person or are attending virtually and need curbside pickup.

The Wayne County School Board has also approved delaying the start of the school year for non-traditional academic calendar schools by four student days.  Those days would be added back at the end of the school year.

The draft plans for reopening Wayne County schools, a student/parent survey on attending school in the fall, and the application for the virtual academy are available on the WCPS website.