Dominion Post
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Latest News
      • Business
      • Community
      • Cops and Courts
      • Education
      • Religion
      • WVU News
    • Government
      • West Virginia Legislature
      • Granville Council
      • Kingwood Council
      • Monongalia County
      • Morgantown Council
      • Preston County
      • Reedsville Coucil
      • Westover Council
    • General Election Results 2020
    • Entertainment
      • Life & Leisure
      • Marquee
    • Contributors
      • Aldona Bird
      • Becca Fint Clark
      • Dr. Michael Hogan
      • Dr. Trembush and Dr. Stout
      • H.R. Scott
      • Healthy Living
      • Irene Marinelli
      • Joe Smith
      • John Samsell
      • Justin Jackson
      • Keenan Cummings
      • Kerri Kosten
      • MaryWade Triplett
      • Sean Manning
      • Vaageesha Das
  • Sports
    • Local Sports
    • WVU Sports
    • Outdoors
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Daily Columnists
      • Cal Thomas
      • Leonard Pitts Jr.
      • Froma Harrop
      • Salena Zito
      • Hoppy Kercheval
    • Letters to the Editor
      • Letters
      • Guest Essays
    • Guest Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • E-Edition
  • Podcasts
  • Marketing Services
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a Classified Ad
    • Submit Announcement
    • About the Dominion Post
  • Sign In
Dominion Post
Subscribe
  • Home
  • News
    • Latest News
      • Business
      • Community
      • Cops and Courts
      • Education
      • Religion
      • WVU News
    • Government
      • West Virginia Legislature
      • Granville Council
      • Kingwood Council
      • Monongalia County
      • Morgantown Council
      • Preston County
      • Reedsville Coucil
      • Westover Council
    • General Election Results 2020
    • Entertainment
      • Life & Leisure
      • Marquee
    • Contributors
      • Aldona Bird
      • Becca Fint Clark
      • Dr. Michael Hogan
      • Dr. Trembush and Dr. Stout
      • H.R. Scott
      • Healthy Living
      • Irene Marinelli
      • Joe Smith
      • John Samsell
      • Justin Jackson
      • Keenan Cummings
      • Kerri Kosten
      • MaryWade Triplett
      • Sean Manning
      • Vaageesha Das
  • Sports
    • Local Sports
    • WVU Sports
    • Outdoors
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Daily Columnists
      • Cal Thomas
      • Leonard Pitts Jr.
      • Froma Harrop
      • Salena Zito
      • Hoppy Kercheval
    • Letters to the Editor
      • Letters
      • Guest Essays
    • Guest Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • E-Edition
  • Podcasts
  • Marketing Services
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a Classified Ad
    • Submit Announcement
    • About the Dominion Post
  • Sign In
Dominion Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest News Education

BOE votes for blended learning

by Kathy Plum, The Dominion Post
January 16, 2021
in Education, Government, Latest News
4 min read
Preston BOE sets meetings to provide, hear info on proposed school closings
678
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

KINGWOOD — Preston County students will return to school Jan. 25 on a blended schedule in school two days a week, the board of education decided Friday.

 The board said it felt forced into the decision by the State Board of Education and voted 5-0 on the proposal.

Principals will use next week to contact parents with their children’s schedules. Superintendent Steve Wotring also posted a video Friday on the Preston County Schools Facebook page, explaining the move.

On Monday, the board  voted to keep students at home, studying remotely, until it met Feb. 8. Then it would decide if the incidence of COVID-19 had lessened and school employees had received sufficient vaccinations to return to school.

  But  Wednesday, the State Board of Education ordered pre-K through eighth grade  students to return to school at least two days a week by Jan. 19. High school students will not return to school until the color-coded COVID map for the county is no longer red.

Board President Jack Keim said Friday that  he was told as long as a plan is in place by Jan. 19 for returning to school, the county meets the mandate.

  He’s not a fan of blended learning, the superintendent said, but believes it’s the best option now. By splitting students into different groups, each in school two days per week, social distancing can be observed, he said. 

Only one-third of Preston’s school staff has been vaccinated, he said, so blended learning may help lessen the possible spread until all can receive the shots.

  Parents still have the option of keeping their children totally virtual.

The board will meet again at 10 a.m. Feb. 19 to reconsider the decision.

Keim said he was part of  a conference call with the West Virginia Schools Boards Association. Its  lawyer said if counties don’t open schools, the state board could use that “as the lever to take over the county.”

 Board Member Pam Feathers asked for a definition of take over. It would mean the local board would have no power, Wotring said.

The order gives counties authority they didn’t have before to close a single classroom, school or part of a school to control a virus outbreak or if there isn’t enough personnel to have school.

“I did a lot of research, and the blended model seems to be what is going on in the rest of the country,” Board Member Jeanne Dreisbach said, though she wishes all teachers and staff were vaccinated.

 Board Member Jeff Zigray said, “If we have to go back to school, I believe that the blended model has a  lot of logistical obstacles to overcome.” Keim agreed.   

Feathers said she was passionate in her support of Monday’s board action, “and I do not feel any differently today.”

Huggins said everyone is working together as a team. “I don’t want us to lose focus on what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re here for the kids.”

Keim noted that  in Fellowsville Elementary and Rowlesburg School, there are so few students they can safely attend classes four days a week, while students in schools with larger enrollments can go only two.

For example, a split kindergarten/first grade class at Rowlesburg has only nine students. 

The superintendent said if the board ordered a blended model, that’s how it would be done. Principals at the meeting said students who are struggling may need more time at school, and that will be considered.

“I trust our principals to make the best decisions for kids,” Wotring said. 

He praised principals, who prepared the new schedules. “They had two days, and I think they’ve done such an admirable job on the task they were given such a short time to do,” he said.

Thomas Bane, regional representative for the West Virginia Education Association, said the Preston board had his group’s complete support if it chose to follow its own course. He referred to rumors that the state would yank funding from any county that disobeyed.

“To play this strong-arm game is nothing short of distasteful by the State Board of Education,” Bane said.

 TWEET @DominionPostWV

Tags: back to schoolblended learningcoronavirusCOVID-19Preston Board of Educationpreston boespring semester 2021top-2
Kathy Plum, The Dominion Post

Kathy Plum, The Dominion Post

More Articles

Opinion

Texas, Mississippi recklessly reopening

March 5, 2021
Latest News

COVID quarantines a class at Mason Dixon

March 5, 2021
Justice Feb. 15 press conference
Business

Justice lifts capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants, retail, gyms

March 5, 2021
News podcast by The Dominion Post Morgantown WV
Business

Postcast 61 – March 5, 2021

March 5, 2021
New law enforcement academy can only help improve public safety
Community

Morrisey once again says police review board would run afoul of state code

March 4, 2021
Senate Judiciary OKs House resolution regarding state Board of Education oversight; mask dispute pauses meeting
Education

Senate Judiciary OKs House resolution regarding state Board of Education oversight; mask dispute pauses meeting

March 4, 2021
Load More
Next Post

Workforce WV offers public an explanation

Dominion Post

© 2020 The Dominion Post.

Menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • E-Edition
  • Podcasts
  • Marketing Services
  • Contact
  • Sign In

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Latest News
  • Sports
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • E-Edition
  • Podcasts
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Sign In

© 2020 The Dominion Post.