School year to start August 11 in Martin County

Board members went late into the night to come up with a reopening date.

SCHOOL DATE FOR MARTIN COUNTYSCHOOLS.

BOARD MEMBERS WENTLATE INTO THE NIGHT TO COME UPWITH A REOPENING DATE IN THISONGOING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.A FIRST DAY THAT CAME WITHPLENTY OF DEBATE.

WPTVNEWSCHANNEL 5'S MEGHANMCROBERTS HAS THE DECISIONREACHED WITHIN THE PAST HOUR.<< WHAT MAKES THIS SURPRISINGIS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ANDTHE TEACHERWANTED TO DELAY THE START OFTHE YEAR TO AUGUST 24TH, BUTSTILL- THEIR NEGOTIATIONSFAILED& VO THE SCHOOL BOARDTOLD PARENTS THEY WOULD HAVE ASCHOOL START DATE DECISION BYTODAY- BECAUSE NEGOTIATIONSDIDNBOARD ONLY HAD THE OPTION OFAPPROVING THE ORIGINALCALENDAR WITH THAT AUGUST 11THSTART DATE, TEACHERS HAVE TOWORK ONE HUNDRED NINETY SIXDAYS TO MEET PAYROLLREQUIREMENTS& BUT THETEACHERME THERE WERE MULTIPLE ISSUESIN NEGOTIATIONS& INCLUDING INHOW SOME OF THE SCHOOL DAYSWOULD BE MADE UP IF THE YEARWERE DELAYED... SOT KARENRESCINITI MARTIN COUNTYTEACHERSUNION“WE HAD SOMEREAL ISSUES WITH THE LANGUAGEAND WE HAD SOME CALENDARISSUES.

WE WERE HOPING TO GETTEACHERS BACK SOME OF THE DAYSBACK FROM THANKSGIVING ANDWINTER BREAK THAT WERE TAKENAWAY SO WESOME OF THOSE DAYS BACK.

THESCHOOL BOARD TONIGHT DEBATEDDOING ALL REMOTE SCHOOL FORTWO WEEKS, AND THEN OPENING UPTHE BRICK AND MORTAR OPTIONAUGUST 25TH.

BUT THAT OPENEDUP ANOTHER HOST OF PROBLEMS,SUCH AS A LAPSE IN PAY FOROTHER EMPLOYEES& LIKE BUSDRIVERS&.

MAKING SURE THEREWERE ENOUGH LAPTOPS FOR ALLSTUDENTS&ON TOP OF CHILD CARECONCERNS.

BOARD MEMBER MARSHAPOWERS SAYS SHE WASDISAPPOINTED THEY COULDN'TCOME TO A COMPROMISE.“I DONREALLY KNOW WHY WE COULDNFROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE BUTTHIS IS GOING TO BE THE BESTWAY FOR US TO MOVE ALONG.PARENTS AND TEACHERS NEEDED TOKNOW, GIVE THEM A START DATESO THEY COULD PLAN FOR THEIROWN FAMILIES AND THEIR OWNCHILDCARE NEEDS.

I FEEL REALLYCOMFORTABLE WITH ALL OF THETHINGS OUR STAFF ARE DOING TOMAKE IT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLEFOR CHILDREN TO RETURN TOSCHOOL AND TEACHERS TO RETURNTO SCHOOL” LL TAG: THIS ISTHE PLAN THAT WILL NOW BE SENTOFF TO THE STATE FOR APPROVAL.MARTIN COUNTY NOW THE ONLYLOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTDELAYING THEIR START DATE.