The Fayette County School Board has adopted a new calendar for the upcoming school year, as it confronts a host of challenges.
District leaders have already voted to stick with virtual learning for the beginning of the year, but that hasn't put planning for other options on hold. Superintendent Manny Caulk told board members Monday night that the district will formally reevaluate learning options at several points during the year, including the weeks of September 28, November 2, Winter Break, February 8, and Spring Break.
Caulk said the board will be "looking at conditions on the ground, looking at the science and the evidence, having conversations with the local and state health department, to make sure we're making the best decision."
Changes could come earlier or later than those dates, depending on virus trends in the city and state.
For now, classes are slated to start August 26. Planners intend to add 10 minutes to the instructional day, with an eye toward a slight reduction in the number of school days. Classes would end on May 13, 2021.
Board Chair Stephanie Spires urged parents not to let all the disruptions translate to lost opportunities
"I don't think that just because we're going something differently means that it's a 'lost year,'" she said.
Still, board members heard updates on a daunting checklist of challenges should schools return to a hybrid or traditional model — ranging from bus sanitizing procedures to providing social and emotional support for students.
