Harnett County Schools (HCS) decided to dial everything back following the Christmas holiday.
HCS announced on Wednesday that all of its schools will remain remote-only upon returning from the end-of-year break as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. When the holiday break ends on Jan. 6, students will not return to their campuses for at least the remainder of that initial week.
“Due to the increased COVID-19 cases, Harnett County Schools will remain remote through Friday, January 8th, for all students and staff,” HCS Public Information Officer Natalie Ferrell said in a release. “Students will return from the holiday break remotely on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.”
Going back to campus on Jan. 11 is no given for students either, as the return date could be pushed back even further depending on what the HCS Board of Education decides to do at its next meeting.
“This date is subject to an extension after the January 4th meeting of the Harnett County Board of Education,” said Ferrell.
Teachers will use next Monday and Tuesday as workdays before welcoming students back to their computer monitors on Wednesday. The decision marked the second time in less than a month that HCS rolled back its in-person instruction efforts. The HCS Board of Education on Dec. 7 elected to send elementary schools back to Plan B where students learn both remotely and in person. Middle and high schools have yet to move into Plan A or face-to-face learning this school year.
HCS reported an escalating number of quarantines among staff due to COVID-19 in recent weeks that had administrators questioning whether certain schools could be adequately maintained if left open.
-Dunn Daily Record
