Wood County Board of Education President Justin Raber listens to a presentation during Tuesday's Wood County Board of Education meeting.

WOOD BOE SEPT 8 2020

PARKERSBURG - The Wood County Board of Education met in regular session Tuesday night, the first day students returned to classes.

Much of Tuesday’s meeting focused on the first day of school of the district’s re-entry plan, as well as future areas of discussion.

Among the topics discussed Tuesday:

  • Superintendent Will Hosaflook gave a report on the first day of the 2020-21 school year. Students this week are attending on a staggered schedule, alternating days of in-school instruction and remote learning. “We had a great first day,” Hosaflook said. “I cannot begin to thank the employees, the parents, the staff members, the students, for the job they did on the first day.”
  • Wood County Schools continues to be in “the green” in the state’s COVID-19 color coded system, which tracks COVID cases and the rate of community spread. Hosaflook said if community members continue to observe CDC Guidelines and precautions - wearings masks, social distancing, frequent handwashing and disinfecting of surfaces - the school system may be able to begin five-day-a-week in-person instruction within the next two weeks.
  • More than 2,400 Wood County Schools students are signed up for West Virginia Virtual School. Delays at the state level in processing the overwhelming number of enrollees, however, has delayed the start of virtual school classes. Hosaflook said Wood County Schools officials have been holding online parent conferences to explain how classes will work when they officially begin. “The state Department (of Education) is doing the best job they can,” Hosaflook said. “They are overwhelmed similar to us.” Hosaflook said officials have seen some families already choosing to switch from virtual school to in-person classes, and the number of virtual school enrollments continues to fluctuate. Hosaflook said families will have a two-week window from the start of virtual school classes to opt instead to enroll their students in in-person classes, otherwise the students will have to finish a full semester online before switching. 
  • Officials plan to work with high school and middle school athletic director in the coming weeks to determine how seating will be handled this year for sports events. The West Virginia Secondary Schools Athletic Commission (WVSSAC) has provided COVID-19 recommendations and guidelines for spectator seating, but likely will revise those in the coming week, Hosaflook said. 

For information and updates, visit www.woodcountyschoolswv.com or download the Wood County Schools app.