The Christian County School District continues to prepare and consider possible options when schools reopen with online instruction on August 27th amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the school board meeting Thursday night, Assistant Superintendent of Administration Laura Morris explained the relationship with the county’s health department and the decision tree. She added the district has had some positive coronavirus cases reported this month.
Superintendent Chris Bentzel presented some proposals for the board to consider moving forward with reopening schools in the district. This comes after the board approved at its last meeting for students to start the school year with non-traditional instruction based on the governor’s recommendation for schools to not return to in-person instruction until late September.
Bentzel said they will be monitoring other districts over the next 10-days where students are returning to in-person instruction next week, considering the COVID data in the county, and looking at the numbers of the staff, COVID numbers, attendance, and overall morale. If those benchmarks are met, he said the new possible recommendation, at a special board meeting on September 3, could be traditional with a parent’s choice of Virtual Learning Academy.
He added another option for consideration would be the hybrid model.
Bentzel also said they plan to reopen enrollment for the Virtual Learning Academy.
Board members unanimously approved an athletic trainer contract with Jennie Stuart Medical Center for a monthly fee of around $11,666. Board attorney, Jack Lackey, Jr. explained Jennie Stuart has provided an athletic trainer for many years free of charge, but due to the pandemic and the strain it’s caused on hospitals, they were not able to do so this year. He said they checked with other hospitals and medical providers in the area as well as Vanderbilt University Medical Center and received the same response. District Athletic Director Kerry Stovall pointed out that CARES funding could be used for the cost of the athletic trainer.
In other business, board members unanimously approved Lindsey Clark to serve on the district’s facility planning committee, along with three community members – Phillip Garnett, Dan Kemp, and David Wimpy. They will serve a 4-year term.
The board will meet for a special called meeting/workshop on Thursday evening, September 3, at 6:00.
