Stage 4 Frequently Asked Questions

No. Visitors to school buildings will not be permitted in Stage 4.

Special Education teachers and teams will determine the best approach to providing support for students based on each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), the parent’s choice for the student to remain virtual or become hybrid, and the structures in each school. 

We are currently assessing student academic progress and engaging with the community about strategies we should implement to mitigate and recover any learning loss. Groups of parents, teachers, and community members are participating in these discussions and more details will be available in the future.

Whenever possible, students will remain with the same teacher. The following situations will limit that option for teachers and students:

• The student shifts to hybrid learning (comes into the school for face-to-face instruction) and the teacher remains virtual.
• The teacher shifts to face-to-face instruction (comes into school to teach in the hybrid model) and the student remains virtual.

In order to social distance, elementary classrooms will have between 8 and 11 students. To accommodate these numbers, most grade-level teachers will have a partner classroom and a partner teacher. Partner teachers will be teaching assistants; art, music, and physical education teachers; media specialists; talent development teachers; and interventionists. Details will be shared by school principals.

High schools will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. This allows adequate time for the transportation of elementary students. Specific bell schedules will be communicated by school principals.

Yes. Student drivers will be allowed to park at school and there will be no charge for parking.

Yes. The Extended Day Enrichment Program will operate, but space availability will be very limited due to social distancing requirements.

It is our strong desire to have as many students as possible in school for four days a week. This will depend on how many students choose the hybrid option, however. If we do not have the space and/or staff to accommodate everyone who elects this option, students in Grades 3-5 may only attend 2 days a week.

Once you indicate a decision on the intent form, your decision will be binding in order to allow us to staff and plan accordingly. Beginning three weeks after Stage 4 begins, we will consider requests to change your decision, and we will accommodate those requests on a case-by-case basis. Please note that requests that are granted may take up to 10 school days to fully enact.

The specific bell schedule and space utilization will depend highly on the number of students who elect face-to-face instruction. A decision on which grade levels will attend 2 days per week or 4 days per week will also influence these details. Once schools have that information, principals will communicate more specific information to their communities prior to the start of Stage 4.

Our partners from the Blue Ridge Health District are not recommending the testing of all students as they return to school. They have reviewed our risk mitigation plan and believe we have all necessary protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.

Please refer to the Protocol for Confirmed Case of COVID-19 tab on our School Health Services Procedures web page for information.

Either meals will be delivered directly to the classroom or students will go through serving lines in a staggered manner and then return to their classroom to eat. Marked traffic directions and staggered releases will help maintain social distancing during class changes. Each school will determine their specific approach and will share their plans prior to Stage 4.

Please refer to our Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol posted on our Health and Safety Practices page on the Return to School website for information.

We are currently developing vaccine protocols to implement once vaccines are available.

Students and employees shall wear a mask or acceptable face covering at all times regardless of physical distancing, in an ACPS school building, in another ACPS facility, on a school property or campus, or in an ACPS vehicle or bus. ACPS will provide masks to those who do not have one of their own. Please refer to our Policy on Masks and Acceptable Face Coverings for more details, including answers to frequently asked questions about the use of face coverings.

Please refer to our Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Protocol and our Transportation Health Plan posted on our Health and Safety Practices page for information about how we’re handling ventilation in our buildings and on our school buses.

Please refer to our Cleaning and Disinfection Protocol posted on our Health and Safety Practices page on the Return to School website for specifics on our enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.

If there are too many students or staff members who need to quarantine for a school to open, all instruction will move online until circumstances allow for students and staff to safely return.

Our ability to provide an accommodation is based on student needs, staffing needs, and the employee’s work as it relates to student needs. As more students return for face-to-face learning, the number of available virtual teaching opportunities decreases. As such, it is unlikely that all accommodation requests will be approved.