Interim Superintendent Dr. Stewart Hobbs speaks to board members about school plans regarding education and COVID-19 during a fall meeting.
Plans change for first week of school
Sampson County Schools officials recently announced new plans for the second half of the academic year due to COVID-19.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Stewart Hobbs recently announced that all students will continue their education with remote learning starting Tuesday, Jan. 5, after the winter break. Known as Plan C, this format will be effective through Friday, Jan. 8. Hobbs said the district made after consulting with the Sampson County Health Department, district staff, and after reviewing COVID-19 figures.
As of Wednesday, there’s been more than 150 positive cases within the district. From that total, the exposure count is at 673.
“The COVID-19 numbers across Sampson County and Sampson County Schools have been spiking since Thanksgiving and we are anticipating the numbers to increase after the holiday season,” Hobbs said in a statement to the public.
Before the decision, the Sampson County Schools Board of Education, approved re-entry in January to have Hobbton, Lakewood, Sampson Early College and Union high schools students follow a format known as Plan B, with different groups of students going to the building for two days, back-to-back, each week. Wednesday was to be used as a remote learning day.
Due to spacing issues at Midway High, students at the school, plans called for an “ABCD” schedule with separate groups going to classes for one day a week.
After several weeks of students learning virtually at home, the return of pre-kindergarten through middle school grades was phased in under Plan B during September and October. Freshmen were the only class allowed to attend high school each week, to help with the transition from eighth-grade. For the first week of school in 2021, those plans have been changed.
District officials will monitor COVID-19 conditions through the holiday break and before Jan. 8. A decision will be made during that time.
“The health, safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff have always been my and Sampson County Schools’ number one priority,” Hobbs said. “Therefore, this is needed to make sure that we can bring our students, faculty and staff back into our facilities in a safe environment. I would like to wish everyone in Sampson County Schools a very safe Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.”