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ALABASTER – Shelby County Schools will reopen to students for the 2020-2021 academic year one week later than previously planned.

The new start date of Aug. 13 was included on a revised school calendar the Shelby County Board of Education approved in a meeting held at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center on Tuesday, July 7.

In his report, Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks said a team of district leaders and school administrators are working diligently on a reopening plan for all of the district’s schools.

“While we know this year in many respects has not been like any other year we’ve had, I know our people are very anxious to see and to serve our students again,” Brooks said.

Shelby County Schools will offer traditional, on-campus learning and remote learning options for students this year, according to “Return to School Plans” information posted to the SCS website and sent to parents on July 7.

Students who opt for on-campus learning will report to their school campuses daily, where in-person instruction will be delivered by teachers.

Classrooms will be socially distanced as much as possible, and strategies will be implemented to mitigate the spread of germs.

Students will not be required to wear a mask or face covering to school, although it is a recommended strategy; however, certain requirements exist for students participating in extracurricular activities such as band and football.

Schools will not conduct temperature checks on all students. The district is asking parents to monitor the health of their students and watch for signs of COVID-19.

If a student displays any symptoms of COVID-19, he or she should stay home from school and participate via short-term eLearning.

If a student has to be out due to quarantine or if a campus has to temporarily close due to COVID-19, the student will switch to short-term eLearning and return to campus when healthy.

Any students who must switch to eLearning will remain in the same class with the same teachers, participate virtually (assignments graded) and return to school when they are healthy or when school reopens, depending on the situation.

A remote learning option will be available for students who choose not to return to campus for in-person instruction.

These students will participate in all courses in a virtual format (online using ALSDE-approved curriculum).

They may still participate in athletics and extracurricular activities, but may only attend practices before or after school.

Students who have a specific learning plan will still receive instructional accommodations in on-campus and remote learning environments.

A complete reopening plan is scheduled to be released next week.