By Summer Huechtker | July 10, 2020 at 6:18 AM EDT - Updated July 10 at 8:09 AM
DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Dorchester District Two provides resources for families and school staff who have questions and concerns about how school will look when it returns next month.
DD2′s Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Glenn Huggins, says different subcommittees have been meeting almost every day to come up with the best plans for when school returns.
"We're trying to follow all of the protocols. Number one is health and safety of our students. That is the top of our curriculum, it always will be," Huggins said. "We want to make sure that we're following protocol and we want to make sure that every kid is getting the education that they need, and hopefully we can deliver that via multiple ways."
A few weeks ago a survey was sent out to all parents and teachers to see which plan they found most comfortable.
While initially 71% of those who responded said they prefer a student learning model that is face-to-face instruction and a combination of in-person and virtual learning, Dr. Huggins says since then some parents and teachers have changed their minds as new CDC, DHEC and national leaders have come out with new info.
That's why DD2 is working to create a way to provide all options for students based on what they prefer. Officials say this means they would offer a traditional, full-time school experience, a hybrid model with alternating days where students are in school and working at home, and a virtual academy for those who prefer to do school hundred percent online.
Huggins says they are still working through how the Virtual Academy will work in terms of who is teaching them, but it will definitely be DD2 teachers.
As for the hybrid model, Huggins says they have discussed having “A” and “B” day plans for students to alternate days.
One thing Huggins says DD2 is looking forward to is this being the first year students in all grade levels will have a take-home technology device.
Pre-K through first grade will have iPads, and second grade through 12th grade will have laptops. Huggins says the district is currently taking orders for all of these items right now. Once they come in, parents will be given set times to come pick up the devices from their child’s school, he says.
According to Huggins, there will be online training for students and parents for the new devices.
Huggins says DD2 is continuing to look to local Dorchester County companies and leadership for Wi-Fi hot spot funding, as they have done this summer.
They also say they are also looking to the state education department for further funding for the entire school year.
Huggins says he wants to be clear that this school year will be much different from how this spring went with the sudden closures.
"I feel that students and teachers are really going to embrace that we've learned so much over the summer in what happened and giving out devices throughout the summer to give us a pilot for what's happening for this upcoming year," Huggins said. "And things are going to look totally different for this upcoming year than they did for this summer, but at least it gave us an idea of what technology can do for our students."
The next DD2 school board meeting will be Monday evening. Huggins says the superintendent will discuss more plans for how schools might look like when they reopen.
Info on public access to that meeting can be found here.
To stay up to date on the latest updates with school reopening plans in DD2, visit this DD2′s website.
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