Are you wondering what will happen with Fayette County Public Schools’ reopening for 2021?  Lex Fun 4 Kids is tracking FCPS school reopening updates and guidelines as they are released.  

Fayette County Public Schools serves over 42,000 students with just over 8,000 employees so there are so many things to consider as they plan for what school will look like this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.  They are taking into consideration surveys parents completed as well as staff and all state and national guidelines.  These guidelines are ever changing and will continue to change as the weeks go by.

Canvas for Middle and High School Students
Canvas is the new platform all middle and high schools will be delivering instruction and lessons through.  This is different from Google Classroom they may have used in the past.  Take time to learn more and download the Canvas Parent App.  (Information to access student accounts is in the FCPS Canvas video)

Canvas Parent is designed to provide visibility into your child’s education at a glance. Canvas Parent allows parents to:

• View assignment descriptions and due dates
• Set reminders for assignments
• View assignment grades
• View course grades
• Set grade alerts
• View course announcements

Fayette County Schools Special YouTube tutorial below

General Canvas informational video published by Canvas

Chromebooks and Hotspots Available
The district is now 1:1 for Chromebooks so each child has a Chromebook assigned to them.  Each school will have dates/times scheduled for students to check out their Chromebook so watch for updates from your child’s school.  
Hotspots are available through the school Youth Service Center or Family Resource Center.  Please contact your school’s coordinator to learn how you can sign up to receive one for FREE.  (If your school does not have a FRC or YSC please contact your counselor.)  Click HERE to access the email/phone contact list for all FRYSCs in Fayette Co.

Update 2/23/21

Beginning March 3
• Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will return to in-person learning.

Beginning March 8
• Students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will continue with face-to-face instruction.
• Students in grades 6, 9, and 12 at the following schools will return to in-person learning:
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Beaumont Bryan Station Crawford Edythe J. Hayes Jessie Clark Leestown LTMS Morton SCAPA at Bluegrass Southern Tates Creek Winburn
HIGH SCHOOLS
Bryan Station Frederick Douglass Henry Clay Lafayette Paul Laurence Dunbar Tates Creek
• At this time, students who attend Eastside Technical, Locust Trace AgriScience, and Southside Technical centers will report to their home high schools for the entire day.

Beginning March 15
• Preschool students will return to in-person learning.
• Students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 will continue with face-to-face instruction.
• Students in grades 7, 8, 10, and 11 at the following schools will return to in-person learning:
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Beaumont Bryan Station Crawford Edythe J. Hayes Jessie Clark Leestown LTMS Morton SCAPA at Bluegrass Southern Tates Creek Winburn
HIGH SCHOOLS
Bryan Station Frederick Douglass Henry Clay Lafayette Paul Laurence Dunbar Tates Creek
• At this time, students who attend Eastside Technical, Locust Trace AgriScience, and Southside Technical centers will report to their home high schools for the entire day.

Please note that these determinations are based on expectations that the spread of COVID-19 will continue to decrease. Cases among students or staff could lead to intermittent quarantines or closures of individual classrooms or schools.

We continue to face challenges with having enough school bus drivers to serve the students enrolled in special programs at the middle and high school levels. Teachers and leaders from those programs are making individual contacts with families who have chosen in-person learning for their students to
determine transportation needs and find solutions.
• We hope to make an announcement prior to March 15. In the meantime, these special
programs will continue to learn virtually:
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Carter G. Woodson Academy Family Care Center Martin Luther King Academy Opportunity Middle College STEAM Academy Success Academy The Learning Center The Stables
Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate these challenging circumstances. If you have any questions about how these announcements will impact your family, please reach out to the principal at your child’s school.

Update 2/16/21

As of today we can:

  • Confirm that students in kindergarten, first and second grades whose families chose in-person learning will return to campus the week of Feb. 22-26, weather permitting, and continue with in-person learning the week of March 1-5, 2021.
  • Announce that we anticipate having students in grades 3-5 whose families chose in-person learning return to campus March 3-5, 2021. (This decision will be reviewed and affirmed next Tuesday.)
  • Affirm that we are exploring many different scenarios to accomplish the goal of providing in-person learning for all students whose families have selected that option.
  • Emphasize the importance of transition factors, including the availability of bus drivers and cafeteria workers, as we plan for other grade levels to return to in-person learning throughout our graduated approach.
  • Encourage anyone who may be interested in working as a bus driver, bus monitor, or child nutrition employee to apply at www.fcps.net/jobs.

Update 2/9/21

The FCPS Board met today and determined K – 2 will begin in person learning on February 16, 2021. A start date for other grades has not been determined.

Update 2/2/21

Per the FCPS School Board today FCPS K – 2 grades are anticipated to return to in-person learning the week of February 16th. This could change if numbers rise again and the decision will be revisited next Tuesday. This is the start of the graduated return to in-person learning and other grades’ start dates will be determined in the coming weeks.

Update 1/19/21

The school board met today and reviewed the metrics below:

·         The 7-day average of COVID-19 cases is 197 today, compared with 235 a week ago.
·         Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 18, 132 students and 38 staff were diagnosed with COVID-19.
·         The 170 students and employees who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week are spread throughout 48 of our 68 elementary, middle and high schools, which would have resulted in significant classroom quarantines and school closures.
·         So far this month, 343 students and 123 staff members have tested positive for the virus. This number is especially troubling when you consider that 305 students and 72 staff had COVID-19 during the entire month of December.
·         Current cases in the community are not the result of institutional spread within assisted living centers or detention facilities.
·         FCPS employees began receiving the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccinations today thanks to a partnership with the University of Kentucky. If you have not yet scheduled your vaccination, please follow this link and scroll down to the yellow button that says “request a vaccination.”

The FCPS COVID-19 In-Person Learning Matrix data indicates that in addition to our previously announced remote learning for the week of Jan. 25-29, we need to continue with remote learning Feb. 1-5, 2021.  While disappointed, we simply cannot compromise on the health and safety of our staff and students.

Update 1/12/21

The school board met today and released the following information from their meeting. 

Our average daily cases have been more than 200 for the past nine days, after almost three weeks of a steady decline. In the first 11 days of 2021, we have had 117 students and 63 employees test positive for COVID-19.

Here’s where we are:

  • We are committed to implementing in-person instruction as soon as conditions warrant.
  • We are currently providing limited, individually-determined, in-person services to students with special needs.
  • Our data indicates we need to continue remote learning the weeks of Jan. 19-22 and Jan. 25-29, 2021.
  • Our goal is to begin graduated in-person learning the week of Feb. 1-5, 2021. The data will determine whether we can begin a phased-in return – starting with grades K-2, and adding other grades in subsequent weeks – for students whose families chose in-person learning, or whether we will offer additional services for smaller groups of students.
  • In the next week, you will see our school buses on the road as our drivers and monitors begin practicing their routes in preparation for February.
  • We will continue to distribute free meals, support families with basic needs, and provide social emotional and mental health support. For details visit www.fcps.net/gethelp.

Update 1/5/21

Board Meeting TONIGHT at 5 pm!  To watch visit  FCPS YouTube Channel, Spectrum Channel 197, Windstream channel 13 or MetroNet channel 2.  They will review whether students will be able to return to in-person instruction.  The matrix presented by the board gives guidelines for a return.  The decision tonight will cover the next two weeks.  After this meeting the board will be meeting once each week to determine if students will be starting in-person learning for the week after the meeting.  

Board Decision 1/5/21 – In accordance with the FCPS COVID-19 In-Person Learning Matrix, our Core COVID Team met today to review conditions with the virus in consultation with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. The 7-day average of new cases in Fayette County today is 218, placing our community in Stage 5, which is purple. In light of these current case numbers, all schools and special programs will provide remote instruction only for the weeks of Jan. 11-15, 2021 and Jan. 19-22, 2021.

We know this is not the decision many families were hoping for. However the data tells us this is our best route at this time. Next Tuesday, on Jan. 12, we will make a determination about Jan. 25-29, 2021. Our goal is to give families and staff ample time for planning and preparation.

The health and wellness of our students and staff is our top priority and we are committed to returning to in-person instruction as soon as conditions allow. 

When possible, the district will follow a graduated return model that brings students back to in-person instruction by grade level:

  • Phase 1: grades K-2
    Phase 2: grades 3-5, 6, 9 and 12
    Phase 3: grades 7, 8, 10 and 11
    Phase 4: preschool.

  • We will continue to provide remote learning five days a week for students whose families prefer that option.

COVID Reporting State Regulation

As of Sept. 28, 2020, Emergency Regulation 902 KAR 2:220E requires families to notify their child’s school within 24 hours of learning the child has tested positive for COVID-19. FCPS employees who test positive must also inform the district. Fayette County Public Schools has established a COVID-19 Hotline for processing these notifications, which must be submitted to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The hotline is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please choose one of these three ways to alert FCPS:

FIND A COVID TESTING LOCATION

Update 08/12/2020

Update 07/27/2020

The Fayette County School Board met virtually and discussed reopening dates and procedures.  They shared a draft of the 2020-2021 calendar.  The first day of school will be August 26, 2020 and the last day is set for May 13, 2021.  Students will have regular holiday breaks (Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Winter break, Spring break, etc.) as well as a fall break.  The NTI 2DL option of virtual learning students will start with will be reevaluated at various dates throughout the year.  The first date they will review switching instruction would be the week of September 28 – October 2nd.  

Read the new FCPS – 2020 – Reenvisioning Reimagining and Renewing Guide

[gview file=”https://lexfun4kids.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FCPS-2020-Reenvisioning-Reimagining-and-Renewing.pdf”]

Update 07/24/2020

The Fayette County School Board met virtually and discussed various options for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.  The board voted 5-0 to adopt a virtual start to the school year.  Through the discussion it was clear that this decision can be changed throughout the year.  They addressed the needs of teacher and parent support for online learning as well as how to meet the needs of students with IEPs, 504s, GT services, etc. 

The virtual learning program the district is adopting now is planned to be different from the NTI program FCPS provided from March 13 – end of the 2020 school year.

The specific calendar and dates for the start and tentative end of virtual instruction and the move to in-person learning will be discussed at the scheduled board meeting on Monday, July 27, 2020 at 6 pm.  https://www.fcps.net/virtualmeeting

Update 07/20/2020

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released three new COVID-19 reopening guidance documents on July 20 on special education and preschool students, compensatory education and student participation for non-traditional instruction (NTI).

One of the documents, “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools for Exceptional Learners and Preschool Students” provides guidelines and recommendations for the health and safety of special education and preschool students. The document includes guidance on things like social distancing, classroom environments, food distribution and masks.

Another document, “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Compensatory Education and Extended School Year Services” explains the differences between compensatory education and extended school year services. It also provides guidance on how to provide those services during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as through NTI.

The final document, “COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Daily Participation and Non-Traditional Instruction” explains the different types of daily student participation, the types and uses of NTI and how districts will record daily participation for the 2020-2021 school year.

Update 07/17/2020

“Nothing is more important to me than the lives of our students, employees and families, and safety will direct each of our decisions. Regardless of the instructional model selected, please understand that our plan is subject to change as cases rise or decline not only in Fayette County, but across Kentucky, the nation and the world. The status of COVID-19 changes every day, with each test taken, diagnosis made, or scientific breakthrough announced, and our response must be nimble enough to change quickly to keep our students, employees and families safe.”

Update 07/13/2020

The school board met and set the agenda for the upcoming meeting.  They also have a specially called meeting set for the week of 07/20/2020 to discuss the calendar for next school year.  In a post from school board member Stephanie Spires, she stated “Tonight I shared that I will not vote for a plan that sends our children and employees back into the classroom until cases decrease and our community has increased access to rapid testing.  We all want our children back in the classroom. As a self employed mom with children who have IEPs and 504s, I understand the challenges that many of our families are encountering. I also understand that to fully open our economy, our children need to be in school. Our families need a plan. Our families are anxious and worried about childcare and employment.” 

She mentioned that they had 33,000 surveys collected from families. 

If you have thoughts, ideas, or concerns, you can contact her at Stephanie.Spires@fayette.kyschools.us

In an update on July 1, 2020 FCPS posted the following…

Fayette County Public Schools is looking at welcoming students back to school the week of Aug. 24 with a new model of on-campus, face-to-face instruction, Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Manny Caulk announced July 1. “This is later than our school district normally starts, but this change allows us to take advantage of the flexibility afforded in state law to have a shorter school year, which could prove crucial if intermittent closures are required,” Caulk said.

“With each passing day, it seems the only thing we can be certain of is that the situation we face with the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to evolve as scientists learn more about the virus, public health officials revise their guidance, and cases rise or decline not only in Fayette County, but across Kentucky, the nation, and the world,” he said. “The uncertainty and disruption of in-person learning since mid-March has been and continues to be a challenge for all of us. I am concerned not only about the instructional time we have already lost with our students, but also about their social and emotional well-being and the toll the pandemic has taken on our families.” 

Caulk said the district’s reopening plan will:

  • Prioritize health and safety.
  • Be responsive and respectful of the individual circumstances facing students, families, and employees.
  • Maximize the opportunity for in-person instruction.
  • Reflect best practices about wearing masks, practicing social distancing, sanitizing hands and surfaces, health screening and temperature checks, and contact tracing.
  • Provide flexibility to accommodate changing circumstances with the pandemic.

Every decision made will be in accordance with requirements from federal, state, and local health authorities including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kentucky Governor’s Office, Kentucky Department for Public Health, and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Stay up to date with the Board of Education

School board meetings are only available virtually during the pandemic restrictions. They are live-streamed to local cable channels as normal and also available on the district’s FCPS Video on Demand service. If watching on the district website, please hover over the Live Streams banner at the top and click on the play button to begin the stream on your device. 

Upcoming Board Meetings

5:30 p.m. July 13, 2020 Agenda Planning Meeting
6:00 p.m. July 27, 2020 Regular Meeting
5:30 p.m. August 10, 2020 Agenda Planning Meeting
6:00 p.m. August 24, 2020 Regular Meeting
5:30 p.m. September 14, 2020 Agenda Planning Meeting
6:00 p.m. September 28, 2020 Regular Meeting

FCPS School Calendar (Yet to be released)

Kentucky Department of Education Reopening Resources

CDC Considerations for Schools

[gview file=”https://lexfun4kids.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Safety-Expectations_FINAL-DOC.pdf”]

Leave a Reply

error: Content is protected !!