Clarksville-Montgomery County School System: Closed Friday Rutherford County Schools: 1-hour delay Friday; the district later said Rock Springs Elementary School will be closed Friday because the city of La Vergne closed the road that leads to the school. Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner. We have been Central Texasschool districts including Round Rock, Leander and Hays reported closing classrooms or schools in the fall. Keep it Clean. "We are experiencing critical staffing shortages, and we are unable to continue operating campuses safely until our employees recover and return to work,"the district said on its website. Sorry for the confusion. Norwood added that the high number of cases was particularly concerning because only one pediatric intensive care unit bed is currently available in the trauma service area that includes most of Central Texas. Use the 'Report' link on It takes a lot of personnel working together in various capacities to provide an education to our children, and were happy to see where you could fit in.". The Williamson County Board of Education voted Monday night, November 15, to remove the existing mask mandate in place in Williamson County Schools. Beginning Tuesday, November 16, masks are no longer required for students, staff, volunteers and visitors. The Granger district posted on its website and social media that the district is closed Thursday and Friday. The School Age Child Care program will be closed. One District's Workaround? (0) comments Welcome to the discussion. Make Them Part Of The Dress Code. AISD will notify families if their child has come into contact with an infected student or staff member and needs to quarantine. or anything. All exposure guidance will need to come from a health care provider or the local health department to determine if quarantine and/or testing is necessary. The Austin, Round Rock, Leander and Hays school districts reported hundreds of staff absences within the first week of spring semester classes. Wilson County Schools was also closed Thursday due to weather and staffing. Parents will be called only at the main number on file in the phone notification system. Share with Us. Alejandro Martnez-Cabrera is an assistant digital editor for KUT. The calendar documents include district schedules, breaks, half days and more. Based on the State waiver criteria mentioned above, school districts may not transition to remote learning on inclement weather days. 2005-2023 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Be Proactive. Both public school districts in Williamson County will be closed Friday due to the forecast of ice for overnight in the area. Texas Has Long Offered Virtual Public School Options. "They're looking at data and they're not saying that this mask is going to cure all or keep us all safe," she said. Metro Social Services also announced they would delay opening until 10 a.m. 2023 www.tennessean.com. He cited a shortage of substitutes, bus drivers andeducational aides, in addition to teachers, and he encouraged people to apply for district jobs. Board member Gloria Gonzalez-Dholakia said while there are unknowns with the school year and pandemic, the recommendations of health officials to mask up are known and should be followed. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Williamson County Schools (WCS) follow the school and employee annual calendars. Due to this new information, the FSSD schools, offices and the MAC program will be closed Wednesday, February 1. Information will be updated weekly on Friday. Partly cloudy skies. "Due to the continued staffing shortages and student absences, we feel it is in the best interest of our staff and students to close for the remainder of the week," the Liberty Hill announcement stated. Those returning with unresolved symptomsmay be sent home until their symptoms are improving or provide written documentation from a provider that they are no longer infectious. People with fewer than 60hours of college credits can now apply to substitute teach in elementary and middle schools. Given known limitations in contact tracing and quarantining, we are concerned that exposed contacts will continue to convert to cases at an alarming rate this week, she said. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. When can schools or the district transition to remote learning? Reconsideration of Instructional & Library Materials, College, Career & Technical Education (CCTE), Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC), Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Should I be investing if there is a downturn or recession looming? Individuals exhibiting symptoms (see revised Illness Guidelines for those symptoms) will not be permitted to attend school until those symptoms have been resolved. Find them here. Fairview Middle School will be closed Friday after nearly one-third of its staff and students missed class due to illness on Thursday. That means if your bus Be Nice. WebSchool Delays, Closings and Weather Cancellations for Williamson County TN. Late Start Days, previously known as Power Mondays, result in a 45-minute late start for one day per week (a few weeks will be excluded because of vacation periods) for approximately 24 weeks during the school year. Williamson County Schools: Closed Friday Stewart County Schools: Closed Friday Reporters Nancy DeGennaro, Andy Humbles, Chris Gadd and Meghan All rights reserved. Williamson County Schools School Age Child Care program will be closed both days, and 12-month employees should follow the snow day protocol with the understanding that all school campuses and district offices will be closed. ", WCS Board of Education member Rick Wimberly later said on Twitter that these students and staff were absent with COVID-19, but corrected his statement the next day stating he should have said "absences not COVID cases. Whitestone Elementary School, Cedar Park High School, Glenn High School and Leander High School have reported the most cases, with more than 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases each. Buses and car lines will operate at dismissal. The Williamson County Board of Education voted Monday night, November 15, to remove the existing mask mandate in place in Williamson County Schools. Additionally the calendar includes the County Commission Budget Committee and the County Commission Education Committee meetings. © var currentTime = new Date();var year = currentTime.getFullYear();document.write(year); Williamson County Schools All rights reserved.|(615) 472-4000. The district plans to release coronavirus numbers for the entire school system on Friday. While masks are encouraged for those who would like to wear one, they are not required for students, staff, volunteers and visitors. During the first three days of the school year, 25 Williamson County elementary students have contracted COVID-19, according to Superintendent Jason Golden. The WCS board of education mandated masks, Board votes to require masks in elementary schools during raucous meeting, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. © var currentTime = new Date();var year = currentTime.getFullYear();document.write(year); Williamson County Schools All rights reserved.|(615) 472-4000. Beginning Our goal is to make living here more delightful and fulfilling each day. Parents should address their own stress, learn to identify symptoms of childhood anxiety and help their kids talk about how theyre feeling, childhood psychologist Amanda Jordan said. Based on that guidance and the expectation of hazardous travel conditions across our area tomorrow morning, there will be no school in Williamson County Schools on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Williamson County Schools: Board votes to require masks in elementary schools during raucous meeting, Brinley Hineman and Anika Exum contributed to this story. As editor of both CIs Franklin-Brentwood and Murfreesboro editions, he covers local government, education, real estate, business, transportation and more. person will not be tolerated. Looking for Thursday closures and delays? Students who cant be picked up on early release days can remain at school until the regular release time, and schools will provide supervision through homework club, individual reading time, etc. Check frequently for updated information on school delays, early dismissals, school closings, The WCS Illness Guidelines have been updated according to the information from the CDC and TDH and the collaboration of the COVID team. The Houston school district, the largest in Texas, also closed schools on Tuesday because of a spike in COVID-19 cases, according to the Houston Chronicle. Higher wind gusts possible.. So Whats The Problem Now? You have permission to edit this article. Fiber vs Fixed Wireless: Whats the Hype with Fiber? Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Have a news tip? Norwood recommended that the district close its schools for 10 days, implement a universal masking policy with a limited opt-out option, conduct contact tracing on campuses, require quarantines of at least seven days for people who had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and offer virtual learning. School districts do not have to report such closures to the Texas Education Agency, but about 200 statewide have closed this month, according to a list maintained by the agency based on notifications sent by districts and anecdotalreports. The Department of Education is preparing its Office of Civil Rights to investigate in instances where bans on mask mandates create an unsafe environment for students. The district also has raised its substitute pay andinvited more people to apply. All school campuses will be closed. Williamson County Schools: Closed Wednesday. By Wednesday, the district had reported more than100 staff absences for six days in a row. "In my 30 years in education, this is the highest number of vacancies Ive seen at this point in the school year," he wrote. District leaders are still trying to expand that option to more students in secondary schools, who are on the waitlist. Stewart County Schools: Closed Wednesday Sumner County: Closed Wednesday Tennessee State University: Closed Wednesday Williamson County Student attendancedroppedto 82% from the usual96%, the district noted. We understand our families and staff feel strongly about masks, individual freedoms, and the health crisis, a statement from Gearing said. Williamson County Schools and Franklin Special School District will be closed Wednesday as Middle Tennessee is under a Winter Weather Advisory and CMA Fest Announces Fan Fair Close Up with Wynonna Judd, Dierks Williamson Weekend: 5 Happenings This Weekend, Yellowstone Star to Sign Whiskey Bottles Locally Next Week. What procedures are in place to help mitigate the pandemic in WCS? We have been monitoring the forecast of ice that is predicted for our area overnight. Twelve month employees should follow the snow day protocol. Williamson County Schools and Franklin Special School District will be closed for a second day on Wednesday due to snow and icy roads. Reconsideration of Instructional & Library Materials, College, Career & Technical Education (CCTE), Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC). The Williamson County health district is recommending the Leander school district close its campuses for 10 days after hundreds of students and staff members "If you or someone you know is looking for a job were hiring. The mask mandate was approved on a 5-2 vote, with board members Aaron Johnson and Elexis Grimes voting against it. Michael is the Social Media Manager at Williamson Source handling all social media objectives. that is degrading to another person. Don't knowingly lie about anyone #WCSedu. Threats of harming another In the Austin school district, district leaders said at a board meeting last week that about 400 central office staff were used as substitutes. Texas Bans Schools From Requiring Masks. Three districts in Williamson County closed schools this week because of staff shortages. Again, no school in Williamson County on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Report cards can be found online by accessingSkyward. SACC hours will continue on the regular schedule. Our school buses begin picking up students around 6 a.m. and complete morning routes around 9 a.m. Due to the expectation of hazardous travel conditions at the beginning of the school day and the expectation that conditions will continue to deteriorate throughout the day, there will be no school in Williamson County Schools on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.. Our goal is to make living here more delightful and fulfilling each day. The State health commissioner has the sole authority to design quarantine guidelines. Some buses are late getting students to school in the morning or to home in the afternoon because of the driver shortage. In its statement Tuesday, district officials said they had spoken with the Williamson County health district and the Texas Education Agency about the recommendation to close. Free COVID-19 tests:What you need to know to order tests or get reimbursed. Both Williamson County Schools and Franklin Special School District announced Wednesday evening they would be closed Thursday due to impending wintry weather, then on Thursday, they both called off school for Friday as well. What you need to know to order tests or get reimbursed, Biden says US headed toward time when virus won't be a disruption, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In the fall, when the delta variant of the coronavirus led to a COVID-19 surge as students headed back to school in person, about 59 school districts temporarily closed, according to the TEA list. #WCSedu, I should have said absences, not COVID cases, when I posted about the closing of Fairview Middle School for today. The District Attorney's Office of the 22nd Judicial District of Tennessee issued a release Friday asking for the public's help locating Ullrich. Franklin Specials MAC program is closed Thursday and Friday, as well as the district office. Whole classrooms at the elementary level may be required to move to a virtual learning setting depending on the severity of the clusters, it said. Williamson County Schools didn't specify the illness in a message sent to families Thursday evening, but said FMS will be closed "due to an inability to staff the All district middle and high schools will be required to add seven extra minutes each day to implement the late start schedule. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Administrators initially planned to release COVID-19 numbers only on Tuesdays, but due to a growing number of cases, they will release data on Tuesday and Friday. Virtual learning enrollment is now closed, as is the waitlist. 2:23 PM Jan 17, 2022 CST, A Brentwood Public Works truck plows a street west of Wilson Pike on Jan. 16. WCS told parents it plans to use one of its inclement weather days because remote learning is not an option due to state guidelines. Low 44F. In a statement Tuesday, the school district said it will keep schools open for now. Sumner County Schools: Closed Friday. The district aims to notify parents and staff members of delays and cancellations by 9:00 PM the night before. Andrea is a unicorn, born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Liberty Hill district officials said they were "experiencing historic temporary staffing shortages due to COVID and COVID-related illnesses. We have ten built into the calendar. WebParents of Williamson County Schools students will receive school closure notifications by phone, text, email, mobile app, and social media. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. ", Fairview Middle to be closed tomorrow because of COVID cases (187 of 560 students, 23 of 77 faculty). But as in Pflugerville, most school districts are seeing staff shortages beyond teachers,such as custodial staff, bus drivers, and child nutrition or food service workers, said Karen Dooley, a senior consultant in human resources services for the Texas Association of School Boards. All district events are provided in the calendar along with the WCS Board meetings, Board work sessions, and Policy Committee meetings. Board member Eric Welch also confirmed the closure announcement and the school's usage of an inclement weather day in a Twitter thread, adding that remote learning for students not enrolled in WCS's online school is not an option this school year due to "new State guidelines forced on the district.". "The safety of our staff and students is of the utmost importance.". The WCS board of education mandated masks in elementary schoolslast week, but not in middle and high schools. Three districts in Williamson County closed schools this week because of staff shortages. On Wednesday afternoon, the Liberty Hill and Granger school districts announced that all their schools would close through Friday. We're also trying to protect individual liberties and parental rights.. With a passion for words and story telling, she enjoys bringing stories to the Middle Tennessee community. In a letter to staff and families, Superintendent Douglas Killian said the closure is intended to help staff recover, noting the district had been struggling with vacancies across many departments even before the latest COVID-19 surge. All COVID-19 positive (symptomatic and asymptomatic) individuals need to stay home and isolate from others for a minimum of5 Daysfrom symptom onset (Day 0) or test date. Ullrich was indicted on 21 ", 'It will get better':Biden says US headed toward time when virus won't be a disruption. Updated WCS career fair set for Saturday Staff Reports Mar 2, 2023 Williamson County Schools will host a district-wide career fair on Saturday, March 4. The Jarrell school district made a similar announcement Tuesday. Please considerbecoming a subscriberto help power our ongoing local coverage. Disability Rights Texas sued on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren, arguing the governor's executive order forces schools to violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a staff writer for Greenwich Time from 2000-08 and the Stamford Advocate from 2008-17, he earned multiple awards for his work from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists. FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) Williamson County Schools Superintendent Jason Golden announced Tuesday that he plans to recommend closing a school later this month. Last week, the Hutto school district, also in Williamson County, announced itsschools would remain closeduntil Thursday. Williamson County Schools didn't specify theillness in a message sent to families Thursday evening, but said FMS will be closed "due to an inability to staff the building and classrooms. Based on the expectations of hazardous travel conditions across Williamson County, there will be no school in Williamson County Schools on Friday, February 4, Mens Conference Featuring Mike Fisher & Jeff Foxworthy to Take Place Dont Miss the Tennessee Whiskey Trail Experience Grand Tasting Event, Cast of Nashville Show to Bring Reunion Concert to The Ryman. An estimated 5-6 inches of snow was predicted. By Martin Cassidy Austin ISD Schools Buzz With Energy On The First Day Of Class, Though Everything Is Far From Normal, San Marcos CISD To Implement Mask Mandate, Defying Governor's Executive Order, 5 Tips On How To Cope With Back To School Anxiety Amid Recent COVID Surge. "There's such a competitiveness for staffwith their surrounding school districts, and with their businesses and industries within their communities," she said. The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, says that after vaccine companies submit their trial data, the FDA will have to review it, which could take time. There may be up to a 3-day delay from the Skyward posting of report cards to the printed cards availability at the school. Williamson Source is your personal portal to all things Williamson County. This will be our fourth inclement weather day. As a financial adviser, its a question Im asked frequently. Marble Falls shut down Jan. 14. If your child needs an additional accommodation, please contact your school principal. Students who arrive at the regular time will be given the opportunity to choose from several supervised activities until the school day begins. Bottom line, we couldn't provide sufficient staff to open the school. Freezing rain and potentially icy road conditions across Middle Tennessee triggered school closings for Wednesday. During the Fall of 2021, the State mandated that districts must apply to the State Commissioner of Education and receive approval for any classroom or school to transition to remote learning. racist or sexually-oriented language. Disability Rights Group Files First Federal Lawsuit Against Abbott Over Ban On Mask Mandates. Norwood said the amount of COVID spread in the district is about 2.7 times higher than in the surrounding county, noting that several Leander ISD campuses have two or more active case clusters and that 43.4% of the cases are in elementary schools, mostly among students.
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