Calloway Schools Resume In-Person Classes Aug. 24

Calloway County Schools has announced it will continue on with its original decision to begin in-person classes on August 24.

In a Friday statement, Superintendent Tres Settle said the decision to resume in-person classes was made due to several factors, including the fact that some parents rely on school for childcare and meals for their children.

Settle said the school system has made every effort to accommodate both in-person and remote learning, and stands by its decision to allow parents to choose the right option for them.

The decision comes despite Governor Andy Beshear's recommendation to delay in-person classes until Sept. 28 due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the state.

Here is Settle's full statement:   

The Calloway County School District values and respects the concerns of all stakeholders, and we do our very best each day to represent the interest of our students first, our staff, and our community.  During these unprecedented times, the needs of each family vary more widely than perhaps every before.  Because we operate with a “Student First” mentality in our district decision making, we must always consider the diverse student needs that exist in Calloway County.  With the use of surveys, media feedback, and community conversations, we realize that in these strange times there is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL solution as perhaps public education has been viewed in former times.

Many families in our district are dependent upon our schools for childcare needs.  Others have expressed concerns over the inaccessibility of adequate Internet service in the more rural areas of Calloway County and the inabilities to provide for a virtual education option for their children.  We also recognize that there are children in our community who may live in abusive homes or environments where there is no food, running water, or electricity.  For these students, our schools serve as safe havens, even amid a global pandemic.

On the other side of this divide, there are parents and families in our community who have the ability and/or desire to utilize a virtual educational offering and who prefer this option, whether for personal choice or personal safety.  For these reasons, we must also consider their needs and respect their views in these trying days.  Neither perspective is the right or wrong answer, rather simple certainties that must be considered as we work this puzzle of public education in an everchanging world dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Calloway County School administration and staff have spent the past three months preparing options to meet each of the aforementioned needs for our students.  Working together with local health officials, the Kentucky Department of Education, and the guidance of other federal and state agencies, we created a plan to return to school that would serve to offer options for the diverse needs brought forth by members of our communities.  Our instructional plan includes in-person classes, virtual education, or a paper packet model with routine communication between teacher and students.    

On Monday, August 10th Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, recommended that Kentucky Schools do not return to in-person classes before September 28th, 2020.  The Calloway County Board of Education, in representation of their constituents, does not agree that this recommendation is in the best interests of the students and families of Calloway County Schools.  As such, it is the determination of the board that classes will resume in-person on August 24th as originally planned for families who choose this option.  It is our unified belief that we are making this decision in the best interest of the children of Calloway County, a decision reflective of our “Every Child Matters, Every Moment Counts” motto.

It is our sincere hope that both our community and our commonwealth can respect this decision and the rationale behind it.  We understand that not all will agree, but trust that we will only emerge from these extraordinary times through our willingness to accept views of those whose opinions may vary from those predicated our individual circumstances and bias.  We wish each family Godspeed in the decisions that you will make for your child and look forward with you to a day when decisions become easier for us all. 

Please continue to monitor school websites and social media for updates.  I urge that everyone please prepare for changes that can happen that are beyond the control of the Calloway County School Board. 

Respectfully,

Tres Settle, Superintendent
Calloway County Schools