Isle of Wight County Schools is considering moving some students who are on the In-Person Continuum to a full, five-day weekly schedule in February. The In-Person Continuum model allows for students to move between learning remotely, learning on a hybrid model, or learning in person 5 days a week, based on data related to COVID-19.
The division will continue to monitor data for positive cases and quarantines over the next several weeks. If the numbers are favorable, we plan to return PreK through 5th grade students to in-person learning, 5 days per week, beginning Tuesday, February 16. By this date, IWCS will finish replacing tables with desks at our elementary schools. The desks will help physically distance students in the classroom. In addition, we also have almost 500 employees who have registered for the COVID-19 vaccine with many receiving their first dose last week.
The mitigation strategies in place at all of our schools are working and preventing transmission of the virus. Since school opened on September 8, there have been NO cases of student to student spread, student to teacher spread, or teacher to student spread. However, if we do have issues with rising numbers of cases or quarantines, the Superintendent, Dr. Jim Thornton, can close a classroom, a school, or even the entire division and return students to temporarily remote or hybrid learning if necessary.
We will continue to monitor data for a potential return of additional grade levels to five days a week in person.
IWCS will make an announcement by Monday, February 8, regarding the final decision to welcome back PreK-5th graders on the In-Person Continuum model to a 5-day week beginning Tuesday, February 16. Information on student transportation and any schedule modifications will be shared as soon as details are finalized.
This decision does not impact students on the Virtual Learning Model for the second semester.