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FROM STAFF REPORTS

Shelby County Schools will start the 2020-2021 school year in the “Cautious Together” phase of its reopening plan, which includes a staggered schedule for students.

“Due to the most recent guidance that we have received from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Shelby County Schools will begin the year in the ‘Cautious Together’ phase of our plan,” read an Aug. 4 update from SCS Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks on the SCS website and Facebook page. “The current ADPH guidance offers specific information regarding the mitigation of COVID-19 that cannot be accomplished without starting in this phase of our plan.”

The district’s starting schedule will be as follows:

• Students whose last names begin with letters A-J will attend in-person instruction on Monday and Tuesday of each week with elearning instituted the remaining three days of the week.
• Students whose last names begin with letters K-Z will attend in-person instruction on Thursday and Friday of each week with elearning instituted the remaining three days of the week
• Wednesday will be a day for teachers to check-in with students via the various elearning platforms that are being used for instruction.

For the first two days of school, students will attend either Thursday or Friday depending on their last name.

• Thursday, Aug. 13 – students with last name beginning with A-J.
• Friday, Aug. 14 – students with last name beginning with K-Z.

Monday, Aug. 17 will start the first full week of the staggered schedule.

“We will follow this schedule for four weeks and make further decisions as we know more about the spread of this disease,” Brooks wrote. “While this schedule is not ideal and presents many challenges for families and the community, we want to keep schools open as long as we can to provide the best instructional opportunity possible in these uncharted times. Serving our students is our top priority and our decisions are made to provide the most safety and care that we can under these circumstances. Thank you for your willingness to be flexible and supportive during this unprecedented pandemic.”