JCPS News

Jones County Public Schools Status Update

Jones County Public Schools will shift to Plan A for all grades on Monday, April 12th. 

Our PreK through 6th grade students will return five days per week beginning April 12th.  

Our 7th through 12th grade students will return to Plan A four days per week beginning April 12th.  Wednesday will remain as a remote learning day and mandatory teacher workday for grades 7 through 12.  

Please note that Thursday, April 1st, will now be a teacher workday to provide time for teachers to prepare for this transition to Plan A for grades PreK through 12. 

Remember that parents do have the option to choose 100% remote instruction for their child if they opt to do so.       

The transition from Plan B to Plan A for all Jones County students was approved by the Jones County Board of Education during a special meeting on March 17th.  The transition to Plan A will see many of the same precautions that have been in place since the return to school in August. Families can expect to see face coverings and a continued emphasis on hand washing and sanitizing. Daily deep cleaning will remain a priority, and district staff will work closely with schools to ensure healthy learning environments.   

The most significant difference between Plan A and Plan B, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services NC Strong Schools Public Health Toolkit, is the removal of the requirement of 6 feet of distance between students or staff members. Instead, Plan A includes language for social distancing as separation to “the greatest extent possible.” 

Plan A social distancing also extends to transportation, allowing 2 students per school bus seat instead of 1 student per seat limitation under Plan B guidelines. All safety guidelines, mask requirements, case tracking, isolation practices, frequent cleaning, and other precautions remain in place for the remainder of the school year as well. 

This transition was made possible by the passage of Session Law 2021-4 by the North Carolina General Assembly, which was signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper on March 11th, 2021. Under the new legislation, all K-5 schools in North Carolina must open under Plan A. Local boards of education may decide for grades 6-12 to operate in either Plan A or Plan B for the remainder of the school year. 

We appreciate your support and your patience as our teachers, administrators, staff, and our local health department work together in this effort.  We are thankful that each of your individual efforts have assisted us as we have worked through the pandemic that began last March.  Please understand that your child’s safety is always our top priority.  We are grateful for your support and most honored to have the opportunity to have your child in our classroom.  Please do not hesitate to contact your school’s principal should you have any questions.   

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3/18/21 10:34 am

JCPS