An emergency meeting this weekend led Wilson County to push back its first day of school by two weeks, to Aug. 17, and to shift to a plan allowing only half of students into buildings at a time.
“We cannot in good conscience — based on the data we are monitoring and reviewing, and working with local experts and what they are seeing with local active cases — open our schools to students and staff on August the 3rd,” superintendent Donna Wright says.
The Tennessean reports Wilson joins Knox and Shelby counties in pushing back start dates. Shelby is also considering going to all-virtual-learning, like Nashville.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s smaller city district announced it will start by using what’s being called a “hybrid model,” with students split into two groups. Each half would be inside buildings just two days per week.
Nearby Putnam County to the east says it’s expecting most students to attend in person next Monday. The Herald Citizen newspaper reports a parent survey found 80% of families opting for traditional schooling.
And school district south of Knoxville that resumed classes Wednesday reported its first student case of the coronavirus on Friday.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the cases was confirmed in a middle schooler in Alcoa City Schools. It could prompt students or staff to quarantine for two weeks.
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