Schools strive to keep students on task

Whether the instruction is in-person or virtual, city and county superintendents emphasize that students must do the assigned work.

The Holly Springs School District has been all virtual since the start of this semester due to COVID, but on February 1, in-person learning will return with hybrid and virtual options still available.

Parents had to complete a survey to choose one of the following ­ in person, four days a week and login on Fridays for virtual instruction; hybrid, come in-person two days and login three days for virtual instruction; or virtual, login all five days for instruction.

“Parents choosing hybrid or virtual must agree to some requirements,” said superintendent of education Irene Turnage.

Those include ensuring the student has a quiet and appropriate learning environment and that they complete their assignments and other requirements to be promoted to the next grade.

Students who have been inconsistent with attendance or completing assignments or not meeting their promotion goals will have to attend school in-person, she said.

“We are continuing to make safety a priority,” Turnage said. “The buildings will have more intensive cleaning and will be sprayed several times a week. We will continue requiring masks and temperature checks.”

The Marshall County School District continues this semester with in-person classes, plus a virtual option.

Superintendent of education Roy Lawson said the virtual option has been limited.

If a student has a failing score in any classes, he or she is ineligible for virtual classes.

“We are also taking the option away if the student is having excessive absences and not logging in on a regular basis or falling behind,” Lawson said.

“We are encouraging our students to attend in-person instruction, but we will continue to work with our students who need to choose the virtual option.”

The Mississippi Department of Education has recently waived the requirement of passing the state exams to graduate.

“But that does not mean that all students will graduate,” Lawson said. “The student will still have to complete and pass the required number of credits and meet all the other graduation requirements to be eligible.”

Lawson also said there has been a misunderstanding that promotion and retention will be like it was last year.

“That is not the case,” he said. “Our students will have to meet the promotion requirements that have been set by the board in order to be promoted during the 2020-2021 school year.