Board of Education Superintendent

Don Hall, Chair Dr. Steven Hill

Ken Smith, Vice Chair
Beth Burns
Cindy Fontana
“All Pender County Schools students will be prepared to have choices
Brad George
in the world that awaits them.”

For Immediate Release

Response from Pender County Schools on reopening protocols

BURGAW – In an effort to maintain transparency and provide additional clarity for staff and the
public, Pender County Schools would like to address some questions about reopening schools.

For background, Pender County Schools put forth a community survey from July 13-16 to our
families and guardians, soliciting feedback on their intent for education in the fall of 2020. A total
of 4,349 responses were submitted, accounting for 5,862 total students. 55 percent of those
responding said they would send their student(s) back to school in August if in-person education
was approved, while 18 percent said they would not. 27 percent at the time were undecided, as
Governor Cooper had not announced school opening plans at the time the survey was first
presented.

As of August 16, 2,618 students (26.9% percent of all PCS students) have requested to enroll in
online-only learning for the first semester.

Following the Pender County Board of Education’s July 21 vote to open the 2020-21 school
year under a hybrid Plan B, a survey was made available to all PCS staff members from July
29-August 2 to attain staff intentions for the year. 669 staff members responded, with 87 percent
stating they planned to work with no requested accommodations. 5.4 percent said they would
return to work but would be requesting some accommodations, while 7 percent said they would
need to work via teleworking away from the school building.

All of this data was utilized in designing the learning plans for both in-person education and
online learning that Pender County Schools intends to implement when the school year begins
on August 17 and students return to campus on August 18.

Below, PCS will address the “Specific Benefits of Delaying In-Person Instruction” and “Areas of
Concern/Unanswered Questions” submitted to the Board of Education. The statements and
questions are in italics, with the corresponding response from Pender County Schools
underneath.

Specific Benefits of Delaying In-Person Instruction:

Students and teachers will be given the opportunity to adjust to the virtual format of instruction,
so that the transition will be seamless when the blended structure begins in October.

RESPONSE: To meet the educational needs of students, Pender County Schools has worked
with nationally accredited vendors to support online teaching and provide resources for students
under that model for the coming semester and year. Our lead teachers worked over the summer
to create model Google Classrooms for every grade level, providing as much structure as

“Pender County Schools will establish with students and stakeholders meaningful
pathways from Classrooms to Careers.”
925 Penderlea Highway • Burgaw, North Carolina 28425
Telephone (910) 259-2187 • Fax (910) 259-0133
www.pendercountyschools.net
possible to help prepare for the coming year. No matter when in-person learning begins, there
will be issues to address and work out. No plan will be seamless no matter when it is executed,
but students, families and staff will be asked to work collaboratively to insure education
continues at the highest level possible.

The financial burden of substitute teachers would be eased during the first nine weeks, allowing
the county the ability to hire temporary part-time staff. The part-time staff could carry out specific
logistical roles such as monitoring the halls, bathrooms and cafeteria, checking students into the
building, and sanitizing surfaces with heavy traffic

RESPONSE: The addition of part-time staff to take on tasks like monitoring halls and bathrooms
and checking students in is not built into the PCS district budget and cannot be added without
additional funding sources. However, Pender County Schools would welcome anyone who
would like to apply for a substitute teaching or bus driver position. Additionally, interested
persons can also contact our contract service providers ABM (janitorial) and Aramark (cafeteria)
about openings that exist within Pender County Schools.

During the delay for reopening, administrators and counselors could seek solutions to balance
the numbers of the cohorts of students. Balancing the cohorts would also give teachers the
opportunity to assemble their classrooms to align with proper social distancing guidelines. As of
now, Cohort A receives twenty-eight face-to-face days of instruction, Cohort B receives thirty,
and Cohort C receives only twenty-one.

RESPONSE: Providing an equitable balance of in-person learning days was the ultimate goal in
building cohorts for in-person learning. However, mandatory holidays and workdays will create a
slight imbalance at the high school level. With August 17 becoming an online learning day for all
students, high school Cohort A will get 27 in-person days, Cohort B will get 30 and Cohort C will
get 21. For elementary and middle school students, Cohort A will receive 34 days of in-person
instruction, while Cohort B will get 32. Further calendar adjustments may occure to better
balance the cohorts.

Areas of Concern / Unanswered Questions

The CDC recommends staff be equipped with EPA-registered disposable wipes and appropriate
cleaning supplies for commonly used surfaces. As of noon on August 13th, no sanitation or PPE
equipment has been distributed to staff.

RESPONSE: Despite ordering proper equipment over the course of several months, some
supplies were delayed in arriving to Pender County Schools until late last week. Those supplies
were distributed by staff over the weekend and will be available for teachers when they arrive in
their classrooms on Monday. This includes hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, cleaning cloths,
disinfecting spray, additional masks for students, and gloves. Bulk supply refills of this
equipment will be delivered on Monday and will be available to restock as needed. Additionally,
all PCS employees have been provided with three district-issued reusable cloth masks.

There is no built-in time to the daily schedule to sanitize desks between classes.

RESPONSE: Teachers are encouraged to discuss class schedules with their on-site
administration. Adjustments could possibly be made on a school level that would allow for more
time to clean a classroom once students leave.
The CDC recommends scheduled handwashing in schools. We have no ability to ensure
adequate hand-washing with soap and water with the current resources available.

RESPONSE: Teachers at all grade levels will be directed to spend some time during the
opening days of school providing students with instruction on proper handwashing techniques.
Adequate resources should be available at school sites.

According to the guidelines by the CDC, windows and doors should be open to provide
adequate ventilation. However, this is in conflict with our ALICE training for active shooters, as
well as in conflict with our natural disaster safety guidelines. These safety protocols are
obviously contrary.

RESPONSE: The HVAC systems at each Pender County Schools campus utilize a process that
cycles air out of a building and replaces it with cooled air drawn in from outside through the
dampers system. This eliminates the need for exterior windows and doors to be open as fresh
air is coming into the building.

School facility rentals expose the building to unnecessary contact with untraceable visitors.

RESPONSE: Any person, group or organization requesting to rent a Pender County Schools
facility must pay a new COVID-19 sanitization charge. This charge is not optional. It is required
in the rental agreement to fund additional ABM staff being on site to sanitize the building during
and after a building is rented. Only ABM personnel are allowed to disinfect and clean a school
campus.

ABM reports being at 75% staff capacity, with an increased workload of 50%. It is our opinion
that they are unable to handle the sanitary workload.

RESPONSE: While ABM staffing numbers are below 100 percent at this time, several new hires
were added last week, and more applicants are welcome to apply. Current staff members have
been offered, and many have accepted, the option of working additional overtime to meet the
cleaning and sanitizing requirements to keep our schools safe.

Schools should have periodic Covid testing enforced for staff and students to control
asymptomatic outbreaks.

RESPONSE: Per the Pender County Health Department, periodic COVID testing would likely
not be beneficial and is only currently recommended in congregate settings. Additionally,
guidance from the CDC states that it is not recommended to do universal testing of potentially
asymptomatic students and staff as it is not proven to provide a reduction in viral transmission.

What happens when a teacher or student tests positive for Covid-19? Those students will have
travelled to other classes and mingled with other students during the possible contact period. By
the time someone is confirmed, hundreds of contacts and potential exposures have occurred.

RESPONSE: According to officials with the Pender Health Department, transmission of the virus
is substantially lowered if two protocols are met – wearing a mask and staying 6-feet apart.
During class transitions, students will be required to wear a mask and practice social distancing,
using markers on the hallway floors as guidance for spacing requirements.
What are the procedures for married couples who work in the school system and are required to
quarantine? What happens when a teacher contracts Covid-19 and runs out of sick time?

RESPONSE: If a married teacher couple has an exposure, they will need to present medical
documentation from health professionals detailing the guidance they were given on quarantining
or isolating. Staff members who are tested by a doctor or the Pender Health Department will be
eligible for up to 10 days of emergency paid sick leave while they await test results and fulfill
quarantine requirements. If the Director of the Pender Health Department signs an order
requiring a staff member to quarantine or isolate, they are eligible for contagious disease leave
until they are approved to return to work. Certified staff under health department orders to
quarantine/isolate will be able to work remotely when given approval by the health department
director to do so, however a substitute will be required to fill their class. Neither emergency paid
sick leave nor contagious disease leave count against standard sick leave or paid time off.

What happens when a student misses a week of in-person learning due to quarantine or
another health issue?

RESPONSE: Any student who cannot attend in-person learning will be given the opportunity to
learn remotely until they are able to return to campus. If a student is capable of completing
assignments while at home, they can do so. If not, they will be given an opportunity to make up
the work within an appropriate time frame.

We would like a clarification of the Covid-19 Attestation form protocol. Will students be allowed
in the building that have not handed in the attestation document?

RESPONSE: All students, regardless of having an attestation form on file, will have their
temperature checked every morning upon arrival at school. For K-5 students, following the
temperature check, a parent/guardian will be contacted to answer screening questions before
they can be sent to class or a pick up is requested.

For 6-12 students, following the temperature check, the student will be asked a series of
screening questions. If those questions are answered appropriately, they will be sent to class. If
the student cannot answer or is unsure of their answers, a parent/guardian will be contacted
prior to a student being allowed to proceed to class or a pick up is requested. All students will be
sent home with an attestation form to fill out and return when they come back to campus.

According to the August 11 Board of Education meeting, thermometers to be used to screen

student temperatures are quarantined in California. We are unprepared to handle the screening
volume with our limited supply of thermometers.

RESPONSE: While a large shipment of thermometers ordered by Pender County Schools was
delayed in arriving because of that above mentioned quarantine, the district was able to procure
enough thermometers from a local vendor to allow for proper and thorough screening when
students arrive. These devices have been sent to school sites and will be available on Monday.

Bus drivers are not required to screen students for a temperature check when they board the
bus. This places everyone on board at risk.

RESPONSE: Safety is paramount. With that in mind, stopping a bus on a public road for a
lengthy period of time would place students, bus drivers and the public in immediate danger as
the flow of traffic would be impeded. If a student were to show symptoms of illness, leaving that
student at the bus stop or asking them to return home with no parent/guardian present could
create a safety concern. This is why social distancing (one student per seat, unless students
come from the same household) and masks will be mandatory on all PCS buses. Additionally,
any bus that transports a confirmed case will be temporarily removed from circulation, replaced
with a substitute bus and thoroughly sanitized before returning to circulation.

As we understand it, the plan for a student who has an elevated temperature at check-in is to
‘cool down’ for ten minutes in order to test again and confirm that their temperature is indeed
elevated. If students are asked to ‘cool down’ in the same space, some students with a false
reading could be exposed to students with a legitimate elevated temperature.
RESPONSE: Students who show a slightly elevated temperature upon arrival will be asked to
step aside, while meeting social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask, and wait to be
retested after a few minutes. All students who show symptoms after a second test will be
quarantined in a room with the door open for adequate air flow and monitored by school staff
until a parent/guardian can arrive for pick up.

There are no clear, equitable directions for parents, students and staff regarding proper
quarantine procedures after exposure or potential exposure to Covid-19. We ask that a clear
reporting policy for family or community exposure be created.

RESPONSE: Any student who shows symptoms will be reported to the principal and school
nurse who will immediately report those findings to the Pender Health Department. All guidance
on quarantine, isolation or testing will come from the Pender Health Department to families.

We are concerned that the substitutes in the buildings, in the event of likely quarantines, have
not been trained or may not understand school-level procedures and CDC guidelines for each
respective school.

RESPONSE: School administration (principal or AP) is allowed to schedule time to meet with
substitute teachers to review and discuss safety protocols and procedures. The discussions
may take place via face-to-face or virtually. Additionally, schools should add school specific
procedures to sub-plan packets that each teacher will make available.

There is no plan for socially distanced tornado drills, fire drills, and active shooter lockdowns.
While these situations may seem extreme, there are many students in the building with
handicaps or limited mobility that make movement through the building difficult, regardless of
social distancing requirements.

RESPONSE: Plans for socially distanced emergency drills are in the process of being
developed with guidance from local safety officials. Monitoring social distancing will be the
responsibility of the teacher guiding their class to the proper spot during these drills. The
reduced number of students on campus under Plan B should help this process. While
maintaining social distancing is vital to reducing transmission, in the event of a real emergency
getting students to safety will take top priority.

There is no way for the Pender County Health Department to adequately trace contacts for the
entire county. Contact tracing during class changes is impossible.

RESPONSE: Staff members are encouraged to report symptoms to their principal and school
nurse immediately. The Pender Health Department (PHD) will receive an immediate notification
of the symptom report through the reporting system that has been constructed by PCS in
conjunction with PHD. Additionally, PCS officials are meeting with PHD officials digitally every
morning to review the latest COVID-related information. Contact tracing (per CDC guidelines) is
designed to elicit information about contacts among individuals who were with six feet of an
infected person for at least 15 minutes. Historically, class changes have not approached 15
minutes. This will be monitored at the school level for any needed revisions.

Staff needs to provide medical proof of health to return to work after testing positive. Are
students required to do the same?

RESPONSE: Students and staff must be released by the Pender Health Department before
they can return to campus following a quarantine/isolation requirement.

The list of Covid-19 symptoms includes cough and sore throat. As laymen, how can school staff
discern between symptoms resulting from Covid-19 versus the common cold that spreads at the
beginning of each school year?

RESPONSE: School buildings are filled with trained educational professionals. It is not the duty
of our teachers and staff to diagnose a student. All symptoms must be reported to the principal
and school nurse immediately so that health professionals can make a proper diagnosis and
assist families in the proper medical protocols.

Many classrooms are too small to accommodate twelve students and an instructor while
maintaining social distancing. Schools in Pender County lack adequate space to move these
classes elsewhere. No attention has been paid to students with disabilities, who often require
more space. There is also major inequality in cohort sizes.

RESPONSE: During the planning process for reopening schools, campus administration was
given specific guidelines on what would be necessary inside a classroom to meet social
distancing requirements. Diagrams on proper set up and schematics were issued to help this
process and all principals have confirmed the spacing requirements cane be met. Individual
concerns can be addressed at the building level with each principal.

There is no plan in place to supervise social distancing with regard to bathrooms at the high-
school level.

RESPONSE: High school students will be asked to assume some responsibility in adhering to
social distancing guidelines based on their maturity level. For high school students with special
needs, teachers can make accommodations for those individuals as they have in the past.

What is the plan for socially-distanced dismissal each day?

RESPONSE: Plans are developed and implemented by school-level officials depending on how
their dismissal process works. Students will be asked to meet social distancing guidance when
waiting to be picked up or loading onto buses.

The current requirement that students cannot enter the building before being screened does not
account for inclement weather. During the Topsail High School open house, a torrential
downpour prevented adequate outdoor screening and social distancing prior to entry, forcing
everyone inside.
RESPONSE: It is incumbent upon the schools to develop alternate plans for inclement weather
during the screening process. Utilizing available space while meeting social distancing guidance
will be necessary. Please consult with your site administration for these plans.

The plan is for students to eat lunch in classrooms. Removing masks indoors, even when
socially distanced, defeats the purpose of wearing masks in the first place. This is not an
acceptable solution. Can we reasonably expect students to remain silent while eating lunch?

RESPONSE: Guidance issued by the Pender Health Department has approved the removal of
masks for brief periods while eating and drinking. Students are required to remain socially
distant during lunch to ensure the safest environment possible. Keeping students in a classroom
will allow social distance to be monitored by certified staff, providing the safest possible
environment during this time.

We do not have specific protocol in place for what happens when a student refuses to wear a
mask. While we understand there may be extenuating circumstances, we have not been given
guidance on which students to whom those circumstances apply. We also have serious
reservations about being in a classroom with a student who is not wearing a mask – these
concerns are likely to be echoed by other students and their parents – AND – There is no clear
discipline policy for noncompliance in wearing a mask. As of now, there is no system to report
infractions due to a lapse in contract with Educator’s Handbook.

RESPONSE: All students and staff are required to wear a mask when on campus. This is not a
suggestion, it is a requirement. Any student who is not wearing a mask will be offered one. If a
student initially refuses to wear one, this will be treated like a dress code infraction or
insubordination and the student will be given an opportunity to put a mask on. Students who
claim an exemption will be required to isolate from the general population, allowing school
administration to contact a parent/guardian to verify the exemption and the parent/guardian will
need to complete a form. Verified exemptions will have two options – wear a face shield (if it is
provided by the family; PCS will accommodate students with special needs face shields ) or
enroll in online learning. Refusal to wear a mask or face shield may result in a required switch to
online-only learning.

Instructional assistants who are deemed as “essential employees” have to report to work in
person to either prep food or participate in food distribution, while teachers work safely from
their homes during any of the alternative contingency plans.

RESPONSE: Because their jobs could not be completely remote, and students were not on
campus, instructional assistants were offered the opportunity to provide valuable services
through on-campus work opportunities at the end of the 2019-20 school year. With campus
being back open starting August 18, instructional assistants will be able to resume normal, in-
class duties.

We have extreme concerns about inequity between the quality of education of the virtual
learning platform compared with the in-person education offered by Pender County Schools.

RESPONSE: Education, whether done in-person or online, faces tremendous difficulties right
now, as the longstanding norms of education need to be adjusted. Pender County Schools has
partnered with several proven online learning platforms to help those students who do not want
to attend in-person schooling get a quality education digitally. For students learning in our PCS
classrooms under the Plan B model, we will rely on the dedicated staff of our 17 traditional
campuses to meet the educational needs of their students. No matter the format, the goal
remains the same – to provide PCS students with the highest quality education possible.

Elementary age children have been given no audio or video equipment to facilitate
livestreaming, nor do they have an educational platform or facilitator.

RESPONSE: Chromebooks do have built in cameras and microphones that students can use to
engage with their teachers and classmates during live learning opportunities. Cameras and
microphones to better equip PCS classrooms are being procured, however continuous online
streaming is not feasible at this time. PCS encourages all students to engage digitally as much
as possible. State protocols indicate that once the district's internet connection exceeds 60
percent aggregate utilization at the 95th percentile over a rolling four week average, the district’s
bandwidth will be eligible for expansion which will make video streaming more likely to occur. In
short, the more internet usage by Pender County Schools, the more likely the district’s internet
capacity will be expanded.

Students who need or want virtual education are being given over to costly computer programs
with teacher ‘facilitators’ instead of receiving instruction from highly-qualified certified staff.

RESPONSE: Students taking part in online learning at the middle or high school level who are
enrolled in third-party programs are receiving instruction and assistance from certified
educational staff members. These accredited organizations are committed to meeting the
educational needs of any PCS student who wishes to take part in online learning.

The survey sent to staff asked for our input about returning to school. We were offered this
survey before the restarting plan was made clear. Many of us would likely change our
responses.

RESPONSE: The survey requesting staff intent for the coming year was made available a week
after the Board of Education voted to start the year under the Plan B module.