Madison County Schools unveils reopening plan

Madison County School unveils reopening plan

New at ten -- parents with children in madison county schools are now weighing out 3 different back to school options.

The district introduced to them today.

You're taking a look at those options now.

They include traditional in- person school learning...remot e learning...and an option to enroll in the madison county virtual academy.

This comes as coronavirus cases in madison county continue to surge.

The district also announced plans if coronavirus worsens once students are back in class.

It now has three different levels of response to a coronavirus outbreak.

Waay31's megan reyna joins us live outside owens cross roads elementary school.

She has more on the response plans -- and what's influencing some parents' decisions tonight.

Megan?

The safety precautions do increase by the number of levels.

So for level one -- for example -- students are not required to wear face masks - just recommended.

Level 2 -- face masks become a requirement -- and on top of that schedules will be adjusted to limit the number of kids inside a building.

Then level 3 -- schools will close and students will have to learn remotely.

Parents have to make a decision by july 20 on what program they'll enroll their kids in -- but district officials told me tonight they don't have a set date on when they'll make their decision on which level of response the school system will begin with when the school years starts on august 19th.

So parents are having to make a difficult decision -- without knowing just how risky it will be.

Natz for six year old mila -- every morning she wakes up and asks -- mila says:"can i go back to school tomorrow mommy?"

And every morning terri waters has to remind her -- it's still summer break.

But in the back of waters mind -- she also knows there's a possibility in-person instruction won't be an option next month.

Nats however -- as long as the classroom option is available -- waters plans to take advantage of it.

Waters says:"we don't have internet, so i mean the virtual learning was kinda a difficult task, plus i'm a working mom so it kinda plays a big role as well."

Waters will be enrolling both mila and her and four year old child who is set to begin pre-k.

But she understands parents who choose otherwise -- and thinks it'll help keep the risk low.

Waters says:"maybe there won't be as many kids going to school, so maybe it'll lower the risk for the ones that do go back to the classroom."

Nats mother danielle wingate is making two different decisions.

For her third grader -- she'll says they are leaning toward enrolling her in virtual academy.

Wingate says:"just cause i don't think elementary school students are very good at not touching their face and proper hygiene and things like that."

But for her sixth grader -- she plans to allow her to go back to the classroom.

Both mothers are having to make this decision without knowing which level of response the district plans to implement.

Wingate says:"if we knew right now it was level one to start, then i would go ahead and stick both of them in school and go from there."

And while it's frustrating -- wingate understands why the district can't give them this information just yet.

Wingate says:"because you know it could be a level one right now and three by the time school starts in a month, but i know they have to have the deadline when they do so they can allocate resources."

I am told tonight by district officials that while they cannot tell me exactly when they will announce which level of response will be in place on the first day of school -- but they said parents will have enough time to prepare accordingly when it is announced reporting live in hsv mr waay 31 news