REOPENING DISCUSSED — The Brooke County Board of Education and other school officials discussed plans to reopen schools for the new school year at their meeting Monday at the Brooke High School auditorium. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — Brooke County school officials Monday announced plans for the new school year to include a mix of in-person classroom and remote instruction while also discussing funding for the school district’s resource officers.

Deputy Superintendent Corey Murphy stressed things could change, as new developments related to COVID-19 arise, but current plans call for half of each school’s students to report to school on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other half on Thursdays and Fridays, with all students spending three days learning at home through virtual instruction and other materials.

Murphy added any parent who wishes to keep their child home may enroll in completely virtual instruction for the entire school year. He said parents will have until Aug. 17 to apply for virtual instruction, with details to be posted on the school district’s website at www.brooke.k12.wv.us.

Stephanie Blundon, the school district’s director of student services, said the virtual learning program will be full-time, with participants participating in an online curriculum based on objectives set by the state Department of Education.

Blundon said school staff will monitor their progress and communicate with them regularly with the goal of ensuring a seamless education when those students return to classrooms.

Initial plans called for students to be in classrooms for five days, following a survey of parents that showed a majority preferred that scenario. But in more recent weeks Gov. Jim Justice announced the new school year would be postponed to Sept. 8 as the number of COVID-19 cases rose in the state.

Blundon said the school district will use funds awarded through the federal C.A.R.E.S. Act for preventive measures such as hand sanitizing stations, plexiglass barriers for situations where staff must work closely with students and face shields for younger pupils and special needs students who can’t tolerate masks.

Murphy said the school district is expected to have a sufficient supply of cloth or disposable masks for every student throughout the year, thanks to the C.A.R.E.S. Act and a donation from the Army National Guard.

Asked whether students will be required to wear the masks, Murphy said that’s not been determined. He said local school officials are awaiting direction from the state on that and other matters.

Fielding questions from a few parents, Murphy said it’s likely that students will eat in their classrooms, while the district’s bus drivers will be required to disinfect the buses between runs. He said half of each school’s student body will be aboard at a time, helping to prevent overcrowding.

Murphy noted parents also may transport their children to school.

“None of this is a perfect scenario. We’re trying to make schools as safe as we can,” he said.

Following the meeting, Murphy said the current plan of instruction will be re-evaluated, based on current circumstances, every four or five weeks.

Superintendent Jeffrey Crook said with the new school year more than a month away, the plan could change again.

A re-opening task force launched by Crook has designated the mixed in-person and remote instruction scenario as the Yellow plan. The five-day classroom instruction scenario was dubbed the Green plan, while a return to school buildings being closed is referred to the Red plan.

Penny Foose, a teacher on the task force, thanked Murphy, Blundon and Stephanie Zimmer, director of technology; for carefully considering concerns voiced by teachers in the committee.

In related business, the board approved the $18,832 purchase of 100 Chromebooks for students using state funds for technology and the $6,640 purchase of charging stations and other Chromebook accessories using C.A.R.E.S. Act funds.

In recent years the school district has worked to supply Chromebooks for every student.

The board also agreed to expend $27,189 from C.A.R.E.S. Act funds to establish Internet-accessible “hot spots” for students without Internet service.

Zimmer said such areas must have cell phone coverage, and students will be able to access only the relevant school-related applications.

She noted a recent survey by the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission found at least 104 Brooke County families are without Internet access.

In other business, Crook said he wanted to address the board’s position on school resource officers and its present conflict with the Brooke County Commission.

“There is no question that we understand the importance of having resource officers in schools,” he said, adding the four Brooke County sheriff’s deputies and Wellsburg police officer were paid for their service this year with funds allocated for them in the district’s five-year operating levy.

Crook said the board sought a new contract with the county commission for the officers because state officials advised it may not enter into one longer than a year and in light of the pandemic, shouldn’t pay for services from any outside vendor it hasn’t received.

He noted the board has asked for the officers’ pay to be pro-rated in the future to reflect only those hours they worked in the schools.

The commissioners have stated the board agreed to pay the officers’ full salaries and with that in mind, they haven’t budgeted about $450,000 needed for them.

Crook noted a $3.2 million shortfall in the levy, attributed to a miscalculation by former staff, has led the board to suspend $2.6 million in stipends for staff allocated in the levy.

“If we can’t pay teachers the stipends, it’s hard to justify” paying the officers for time not spent in schools, he said.

Board member Stacy Hooper said the conflict “is our fault or whoever executed that contract.”

She said in some cases, vendors may provide an alternative form of service. Noting the resource officers delivered meals to students’ home when schools were closed in March, she suggested they could perform some service if another school closing were ordered.

Deidra Parr, the school district’s treasurer, asked, “What could they do?”

Board President Ted Pauls said more open communication is needed between the two boards and he’s hopeful for a positive resolution.

He added that if the current five-year contract is illegal, it must be replaced and the board must move forward with that.