PSD adjusts back to school policy
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 29, 2020
- remote learning: Board member Jason Baker votes for a matter during the Poplarville Board of Trustees meeting Monday. Baker asked the district’s technology coordinator about monitoring district owned computers used for distance learning. She assured him that the district can remotely monitor activity on school issued Chromebooks. Cathy Cook | Picayune Item
Students in the Poplarville School District will be required to wear face masks or coverings at school when they cannot social distance.
The Poplarville School Board of Trustees approved a policy change at a meeting held Monday that made masks mandatory instead of optional when students are unable to socially distance at school.
The Picayune School District Board of Trustees also modified the district’s reopening plan on Monday to make face masks required on the bus and in common areas, according to previous coverage.
In a separate matter, the Board approved the technology fee waiver/reduction application that will be used for the 2020-2021 school year. Parents facing financial hardships will be able to apply to have a technology fee reduced or waived.
The Board also approved an attendance policy for virtual classes. The school district is required by the state to take attendance in virtual classes, said Technology Coordinator Jill Melton.
The Board approved a student technology handbook and a virtual learning code of conduct. The handbook will inform students who are being issued technology what activities are appropriate, and the code of conduct should offer guidelines for parents and students about their responsibilities in a virtual learning environment, said Melton.
As of Monday morning 225 students in the district signed up for virtual learning, said Melton.
She confirmed for Board member Jason Baker that the school district does have the ability to monitor activity and filter content on the Chromebooks that will be issued to students. The state is also working on additional filters for the devices.
In other business the Board:
—Approved re-entry plans for all four of the district’s schools. The re-entry plans lay out specifically how the district wide re-entry plan will be implemented at each school.
—Approved the community partnership memorandum of agreement addendum with Picayune School District Early Head Start. The district had originally approved the agreement in June, said Superintendent Konya Miller, but the Picayune School District has since taken over Head Start in the Picayune and Poplarville areas.
The next Board meeting will be held Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. in the district office boardroom on Julia Street.
