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OCS Parents and Teachers Criticize Reopening Plans

Oconee County Schools

Oconee County School’s plans for reopening have met significant criticism from a group of parents and teachers. In a letter addressed to the school board, the Safety First – Reopening the Schools Group, which had almost five hundred members on July 6th, demanded that the district extend the deadline requiring families to make a decision about which mode of learning their students will follow until at least July 20th. It also requested that a new reopening group be convened which includes the voices of families and teachers, and that more data be collected to gauge the needs of families and the health risks they face. 

  It also posed a list of questions pertaining to the “glaring gaps” they perceived in the reopening plan. Among many other questions, members of the group are seeking answers about why masks will not be required, what threshold of positive COVID-19 cases will push learning completely online, and how students with independent learning plans and special education needs will continue their education. 

The Safety First - Reopening Schools Group asked that the school board push back its date requiring families to decide which mode of learning their students will follow until their questions have been answered. It also suggested that the school start date be pushed back to allow time for training of staff and the implementation of further safety measures.