WYOMING COUNTY, W.Va. – Virtual learning students have until tomorrow to return to in-person learning in Wyoming County Schools.
“Due to the adoption of a 5-day learning model for Wyoming County Schools Monday at the Board of Education meeting, we are offering an extension for virtual school students to return to in-person learning,” said school officials in a social media release. “Current Virtual School families have until Friday, February 26th, 2021 at 12 (noon) to return to in-person learning.”
Wednesdays from now on, will no longer be remote instruction, as students will attend school for instruction.
The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) passed a motion requiring grades pre-k – 8 to return to full, five-day instruction in the state. The move replaces the January 13, 2021, motion that required counties to offer at-least blended learning for families. This does not affect families that have chosen virtual learning for their children. Those children may remain with virtual learning.
As a part of the meeting, the board recommended high schools return to five days of in-person instruction as well. However, because older students may transmit the virus at rates similar to adults, grades 9 – 12 may remain with blended instruction if the infection rate in the community is high.
“Early in the pandemic we thought school transmission was closely tied to community transmission rates,” said Dr. Marsh. “We’ve since learned this is not correct. We are finding that when mitigations are followed, schools are among the safest places for our children.”
“The decisions we are making are based on data,” said WVBE President Miller Hall. “According to Dr. Marsh, it is safe to return to five-days of instruction for our elementary and middle school students, and that is what we must do. Children don’t have equal access to technology, and it is very important to restore the support of the school system in the lives of our children. It’s time to return.” According to the motion, counties are to return to the five-day, in-person model for pre-k – 8 students no later than March 3, 2021.
Earlier this week, a positive COVID-19 case was confirmed at Mullens Middle School on Monday and another at Pineville Elementary School was confirmed Tuesday. Schools officials said those impacted were quarantined and deep cleaning and disinfecting of the schools had been completed.
