Find the Latest School Closure Information Here

COVID-19 Update - Sunday March 15 

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Governor Announces all Schools Closed Effective Monday, March 16
New Guidance for Employees Detailed in “Expectations for Employees” Section

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has announced all public schools will be closed for students effective Monday, March 16, 2020. He has called for essential staff to report to work on Monday, March 16. All employees report to work beginning on Thursday, March 19. Spring Break will continue as scheduled.

Since his original closure announcement Friday, on Saturday, March 14, the Governor amended the announcement. The Governor stated schools would remain closed through at least March 27, 2020. At that time, the situation will be reevaluated.

The other amendments directly impact reporting requirements for employees. Those requirements are detailed below in the “Expectations for Employees” section.

The Governor’s closure order includes all public-school extracurricular and co-curricular activities beginning Monday, March 16, 2020. All athletic practices and competitions; theater, music and band practices and performances; and all other afterschool gatherings of students are included in the cancellation.

While the district’s Pre-K programs will not be operating, this closure does not directly include community-based childcare or daycare centers. Daycare centers are private entities. They will be working collaboratively with the Department of Health and Human Resources.

Valley Health Systems has decided to close School-Based Health Centers and redistribute staff to other nearby Valley Health Facilities.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Advanced Career Education (ACE) programs will not meet Monday through Wednesday but will continue as scheduled Thursday and Friday at the Cabell County Career Technology Center.

Board of Education meetings will continue as scheduled; however, student celebrations will be postponed.

The West Virginia Department of Education has advised districts to deliver instruction via alternative methods beginning Thursday, March 19. As long as staff are working to support students, we do not anticipate making up missed days. Depending on the length of the closure, a decision will be made regarding if and how missed instructional days will be made up.

 

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Weekday Breakfasts and Lunches for Students

 

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Weekend Backpack Programs for Students

If your house of worship or organization is interested in assisting with school backpack programs, please contact the school or you may contact Keith Thomas in the Student Support Office by calling (304) 528-5207, or by email at [email protected]. These school-based programs provide food items for students over the weekend.

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Student Instruction During the Closure

 

To continue instruction during the closure, the West Virginia Department of Education is encouraging districts to implement alternative instructional methods starting March 19. Lessons and packets will be developed Monday March 16 through Wednesday March 18, and instructions on how to complete the assignments will be available by Wednesday evening on the district website.

Elementary School Students
Student packets will be prepared for elementary students. These packets will be distributed at the schools through parent drive throughs. Instructions will be included as part of a parent support page that will be published by Wednesday evening on the district website. Parents should contact their school if other arrangements for their students are needed.

Middle and High School Students
Cabell County Schools is making plans to utilize the online Schoology platform to deliver lessons for all middle and high school students. Instructions will be included in a parent support page that will be published by Wednesday evening on the district website. Parents should contact their school if other arrangements for their students are needed.

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Technology Access for Students

Wi-fi Hotspots

The district is working to establish Wi-Fi hotspots across the county that can be accessed beginning Thursday, March 19 without having to enter the building. The district owns ten school buses with WIFI service that will be positioned district-wide to serve as wireless hotspots. These are the locations for buses to be parked for internet access, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Thursday and Friday:

1. Department of Motor Vehicles – 801 Madison Avenue Huntington, WV 25704
2. Department of Health Human Resources – 2699 Park Avenue Huntington, WV 25704
3. Marcum Terrace – 1100 Marcum Terrace, Huntington, WV 25705
4. Rotary Garden Apartments – 65 Smith Drive, Huntington, WV 25705
5. Morrison Grocery – 5197 WV-10 Barboursville, WV 25504
6. Barker Ridge Church – 9457 Barker Ridge Milton, WV 25541
7. Zoar Church – 1955 Balls Gap Road Milton, WV 25541
8. Chestnut Grove Church – 10390 Dry Ridge Road Milton, WV 25541

Most Cabell County schools will have a new wireless network deployed Thursday morning to provide internet access to serve our students. The wireless networks should be able to be accessed from our parking lots. The name of this wireless access point will be “Student/Guest” and will not require any password. The wireless will be available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily at the following school sites.

1. Milton Elementary Pre-K
2. Altizer Elementary
3. Central City Elementary
4. Cox Landing Elementary
5. Culloden Elementary
6. Davis Creek Elementary
7. Guyandotte Elementary
8. Highlawn Elementary
9. Hite-Saunders Elementary
10. Martha Elementary
11. Meadows Elementary
12. Milton Elementary
13. Nichols Elementary
14. Ona Elementary
15. Salt Rock Elementary
16. Southside Elementary
17. Spring Hill Elementary
18. Village of Barboursville Elementary
19. Cabell County Career Technology Center
20. Cabell Midland High School

Available Software
Cabell County Schools students and employees have access to the Microsoft Office 365 productivity suite. This can be accessed online. Students also have access to all Adobe Creative Suite programs at home as long as they are enrolled in a class that utilizes these programs.  These students have access to download Adobe products directly to their home computer.

District Academic Specialists are developing a parent support page that will be published on the district’s update page in the coming days.

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Student Medications

Students who have medications at their schools can make arrangements with the school to pick them up during regular school hours, or you may contact the Office of Student Support by calling (304) 528-5207.

 

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Expectations for Employees

 

Our district leadership team believes all employees are “essential.” In this emergency situation, we have been challenged to meet the basic needs of students including proper nutrition, continued instruction, and providing other health and social supports. Therefore, employees are being called to work in a “task completion” mode. We must rely on the specialized expertise of employees who have been appropriately trained to complete these tasks. We truly value your expertise and dedication to the health and safety of our students and staff.

 

Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020

• Essential staff are to report to work.
• In this emergency, “essential staff” to complete these tasks are defined as central office staff; school administrators; social workers, counselors, and attendance directors; Communities In Schools site facilitators; school nurses (RNs only); school secretaries; operations employees; high school SYSOPs; custodial staff; food service staff; and transportation staff.
• It is important that school offices be staffed adequately to answer parent and student phone calls or emails.
• Teachers and other personnel will be permitted to work remotely to make preparations for all academic support; whether online or via instructional packets, to be available to students no later than Thursday, March 19, 2020. School facilities will be available for all staff if they need a place to work or retrieve materials for planning purposes. Regardless of the location where the preparation work occurs, all materials must be completed and compiled for distribution March 19 and 20. In addition, lessons should also be developed in the event that school remains closed after Spring Break and beyond March 27. Please work with your school principal or site supervisor, who will be coordinating school-based efforts. Principals will be making contact with all staff members to communicate expectations.

 

Beginning Thursday, March 19, 2020

• The West Virginia Department of Education has advised all staff report to work beginning on Thursday, March 19. Long-term substitutes should report on their regular schedules. Day-to-day substitutes do not report.
• It is important that school offices be staffed adequately to answer parent and student phone calls or emails. Teachers should be available to answer questions from students and parents regarding their assignments.
• Schools should employ social distancing practices for staff members.

 

Staff with Health Concerns

Employees who are immunocompromised or have children/family who are immunocompromised should contact their administrator for individualized work arrangements.

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 Cabell County Schools COVID-19 Information Center

The district will continue to update the public about its response to COVID-19 on it’s website, www.cabellschools.com, or you may access the district’s COVID-19 Information Center directly at https://www.cabellschools.com/protected/ArticleView.aspx?iid=42G02&dasi=3G3Y. 

You may also find the latest information about COVID-19 activity in our region by visiting the Cabell-Huntington Health Department website at www.cabellhealth.org.

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COVID-19 Update Archive
All current and previous COVID-19 Updates can be found at the included links: 

Attachments Available to Download:

• Cabell COVID-19 Update 3-6-20.pdf
• Cabell COVID-19 Update 3-11-20.pdf
• Cabell COVID-19 Update 3-12-20.pdf
• Cabell COVID-19 Update 3-13-20.pdf
• Cabell COVID-19 Update 3-15-20.pdf