LA GRANGE, Ky. — Oldham County Superintendent Greg Schultz said he will recommend the start of the 2020-21 school year for students be moved from Aug. 12 to Aug. 24 during a board meeting Friday.
In a Facebook post, Schultz said there are three reasons for the recommendation: teacher openings, a wait for cleaning supplies and a rise in COVID-19 cases in the community.
Schultz said pushing the start date will not only give OCS more time to find teachers to fulfill openings, but also allow officials to better monitor coronavirus cases in the fall.
"Pushing back the start date to August 24th gives us some wiggle room to monitor the situation and see where numbers go from here," Schultz said.
While Schultz said schools have ordered sanitizing supplies and expect them to arrive on time, he said he would not feel comfortable until they have the supplies in hand.
Schultz also said OCS will propose changing the start and end times for middle and high schools to allow for cleaning buses between runs.
Middle and high schools would run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with OCMS dismissing at 3:55 p.m. and BAHS running from 8:45 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Elementary and preschool times would stay the same.
Schultz said he still hopes to have in-person instruction when schools open, but said flexibility will be crucial.
"At this time, it is my intention to still open for in-person instruction on August 24, but as everyone knows, this is a fluid situation that can change rapidly," Schultz said."
All recommendations will be voted on during the board meeting July 27.
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