A community information forum devoted to the school division’s COVID-19 mitigation strategies for the 2021-22 school year will be held on Wednesday, August 18, at 6:30 p.m. The webinar will be held over the Zoom platform.
A link to join the meeting will be sent to all families on Monday, August 16, and posted on the school division’s homepage at www.k12albemarle.org. Information about the division’s instructional and operational plans for the 2021-22 school year can be found on our COVID-19 Response website, including details and a slide presentation on the division’s Mitigation Strategies.
The new school year begins on Monday, August 23, with five days per week of in-person instruction at all schools. More than 13,000 students will be attending schools later this month, which will be the highest number since March of 2020. The division is expecting just over 400 students in grades K-12 to attend its all-virtual school for students.
To continue to protect the health of students, staff and visitors from COVID-19 virus transmission in school buildings, the division will again be employing a multi-layered range of mitigation strategies and practices, including a requirement that masks be worn inside schools when students are present.
During Wednesday’s forum, the division’s Chief of Strategic Planning, Dr. Patrick McLaughlin, will discuss the health and safety strategies that will be in place to prevent virus transmission in our schools and offices. Chief Operating Officer, Rosalyn Schmitt, and Legislative & Public Affairs Officer, Helen Dunn, will respond to questions as they come in through the Zoom chat.
“Keeping our students, employees and families safe is the most important responsibility we have,” McLaughlin said. “We are eager to have students back in our schools later this month and will continue to align our mitigation strategies and practices with the most current data on transmission of the virus and counsel from public health experts. Keeping our schools open depends on the willingness of every member of our community to support these strategies,” he explained.
While the information session will be conducted in English, a recording will be posted within 24 hours on the division’s YouTube page, which allows viewers to select their preferred language when viewing a video recording.
CONTACT: Helen Dunn, Legislative & Public Affairs Officer
PHONE: 434-249-8379