Monday, August 3, the Smith County Board of Education held another special meeting to vote on and discuss allowing students back in the classroom in person, and when school should start back. The BOE had previously held a meeting and voted on this topic on July 30, but due to confusion among the board members a second special meeting was held.
This meeting was held at the Smith County Middle School gymnasium. Everyone that attended had their temperatures checked at the door before they were allowed in. Most board members wore masks, and no board members attended via Zoom.
A motion to delay the opening of schools for traditional in-person learning was brought to the floor by Scotty Lewis. The votes for this motion are as follows:
- Tommy Manning: No
- Joe Taylor: Yes
- Ricky Shoulders: No
- Brian Smith: No
- David Apple: Yes
- Marty McCaleb: No
- Robin Moore: Yes
- Scotty Lewis: Yes
The Smith County School System will move forward with the original re-opening plan that was released on July 10, 2020.
The goal of the plan is “a traditional return to school for most students while offering a virtual learning experience for qualifying students who cannot return.”
Currently, Smith County Schools plans to operate with the approved calendar and implement a staggered return to school, beginning with a half-day on August 5 and a full day on August 7.
You can watch the full meeting below.
https://youtu.be/wi8QcDty5OE
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