Orange County School Board reviews continuity of operations since COVID-19

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Orange County School Board members received an update on the current status as it relates to the continuity of operations of the district since COVID-19, including summer school plans for elementary, middle and high school students.

At a Thursday, May 21, work session meeting held virtually, the School Board heard from:

  • The Safety and Emergency Management Office on the response since January 2020
  • The deputy superintendent, who explained the continuity of instruction for the summer and what re-entry options could look like in the fall depending on the direction from the state
  • The Chief Financial Officer’s report on the financial projections since COVID-19

Each school board member expressed great concern for student learning with summer approaching.

The district is distributing enrichment materials for all K-2 students to work on over the summer to help prevent what is known as the summer slide. Distance learning will also continue for summer school students.

The summer school plan is outlined for elementary schools, middle schools, and high school students:

Elementary

  • K-5: ESY for identified studnets
  • K-2: Universal, self directed learning
  • 3-5: Teacher-directed learning for projected Level 1 students
  • Grade three: Dual language jumpstart for rising third graders

Middle

  • 6-8: ESY for identified students
  • 6-8: Course recovery
  • 6-8: MAO Calculus project acceleration
  • Sixth: Summer literacy academy for newcomer ELL and immigrant students
  • Seventh: Civics summer camp for immigrant students

High school

  • 9-12: ESY for identified students
  • 9-12: Course recovery
  • 10-11: PERT Prep Camp for students needing a comparative score for graduation
  • 9-11: Algebra EOC Prep camps for identified students
  • Ninth: Summer literacy academy for newcomer ELL and immigrant students

Not only will students be able to keep their current laptop over the summer, the district is expecting 18,000 additional digital devices in July. The devices will be on hand if there is a need for a flexible education plan to continue next school year.

In addition, the School Board expressed concern about the social emotional well-being of students and how to move forward to help children cope during this pandemic. Instructional staff will be offered over 100 professional developments sessions on 32 topics, one area of focus is social and emotional learning for students.

To see the presentation and hear the discussion go to the district YouTube channel.