Special to Iredell Free News
The Mooresville Graded School District Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a new learning plan for students when the second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year begins on October 19.
The decision follows Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement that North Carolina public schools could transition to the state’s Plan A for students in pre-K through fifth grade only.
District administrators presented four options for the board to consider during the meeting with Option 1 receiving final approval.
Under this option, all kindergarten through fifth-grade students will attend class five days a week. There will be a two week phase-in period beginning October 19 with all students back in school by November 2.
Sixth- through 12-grade students will remain in a modified Plan C attending online virtual synchronous classes four days a week with some students receiving in-person support on Wednesdays.
In addition, the district will be offering some afterschool extracurricular activities Monday through Friday for sixth- through 12th-grade students as the guidelines allow.
The MGSD leadership team is also working diligently to expand virtual options for those families who do not feel it is safe for their K – 5 students to return to in-person learning.
“We are excited to welcome our K – 5 students back in a few weeks and look forward to the day when we can welcome all students back,” Superintendent Stephen Mauney said. “We are working hard to have strong protocols in place to ensure safety and will be stressing the importance of following protocols to fidelity.
“We will be relying on our parents to help us keep all students safe by reinforcing at home the importance of masking, handwashing, and keeping a safe distance when possible,” he added. “It is important for our community to know that whether we are operating under a Plan C or a Plan A, the
decision is always made with careful attention to all details, weighing of all potential risks, and keeping
our children at the forefront of our decision.”