LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Governor Beshear recommended students not return to school in person until at least September 28.
Most Kentucky schools planned to start in two weeks and are now changing plans.
A number of districts are still deciding what they’ll do after the governor made his recommendation but here in Henry county the decision has been made.
It’s not a decision that originally sat well with some parents, like Sarah Hedges.
“It’s two weeks until the first day of school,” Hedges said. “That’s not a lot of time.”
Hedges has a third-grader, Aubrey, in the Henry County Public School district who was planning on going back to school in person. Hedges is a working parent, so that means Aubrey’s schooling will have to happen at night now.
“I feel like once I get home from work, we’re going to spend the next for hours trying to do this schoolwork,” Hedges said. “I’m going to be tired and I’m not going to be as focused or as patient and her education is going to suffer from that.”
Hedges says she wishes a decision had been made sooner, so parents would have time to plan.
Henry County is one of the first districts in our area that announced it would go virtual, just hours after the governor’s recommendation.
“We had a virtual plan ready to go so I took that to the board and the board did approve our virtual plan,” Superintendent Terry Price said.
Price says while the governor said moving school back until at least the end of September is a recommendation, it’s really more than that.
“I do want our community to know that when a recommendation comes back from the governor that basically is an order, and as a school district superintendent I’m going to abide by the order,” Price said.
That’s a sentiment felt by Grayson County superintendent Doug Robinson too.
“When you’re looking at the recommendation of the governor and the Department of Public Health, that’s kind of hard not to go with,” Robinson said.
Grayson County is another district that announced Monday it will go virtual. While Robinson and teachers were hoping to get kids back into the classroom, he says now is not the time.
“A decision has been made and we’re just trying to make the best of it at this point,” Robinson said.
Hedges is also trying to make the best of the decision. After some initial frustration, she understands why Henry County made the decision it did.
“In hindsight I realize that the district really is trying the best they can for our community,” Hedges said.
Both Henry and Grayson County school districts are working to provide buses with WiFi hotspots. Students without internet will be able to travel to the buses and use the hotspot to download assignments.
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