Asheville City Schools prepares for at-home learning, food distribution

Press release from Asheville City Schools:

Please know that Asheville City Schools continues to work on our proactive plan to support at-home learning should we receive an order to close.

As of this afternoon, both the Governor and Buncombe County Health and Human Services, who are the local medical experts we’re taking guidance from, have advised schools to remain open at this time.

Although the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommended that organizers of events with more than 100 people should cancel, postpone or modify these events, this does not include schools. As shared in today’s guidance by our local health department, closing schools and childcare centers now is unlikely to stop the spread of illness while causing serious disruption for families, schools, childcare centers, and healthcare workers. It may also increase the risk of older adults who care for grandchildren becoming infected.

AT-HOME LEARNING:
Our staff continues to enhance at-home learning preparations. Elementary School Families, please know that our at-home learning packets were distributed to your child this afternoon. These packets are for continued learning at home once our schools close. Therefore, please
hold off on completing these packets until further guidance is given.

Families of all 3rd – 5th Graders, please know your child will be receiving a take-home device, like a Chromebook, iPad or laptop on Monday, March 16. Students will be responsible for these devices, for charging them each night and bringing them to school fully charged
each day. Please assist your child in this process.

As previously shared, all 6th – 12th Graders will be able to complete online assignments through Canvas as prepared by their teachers. If a student does not have at-home internet access, we encourage our students to visit their school’s media center to inquire about checking
out a wifi hotspot device, which will provide internet access.

ADMINISTERING THE SAT:
As some families may know, College Board is set to administer the SAT in the main building of the Asheville High School/SILSA campus tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s testing will still occur. Please remind your child to bring their admission ticket, school ID or license, two #2 pencils and a calculator.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES:
Should the coronavirus’s impact close one or more of our schools, please know our School Nutrition, Transportation and Maintenance Departments have already developed a detailed plan about food distribution sites. The plan will allow us to continue to provide both breakfast and lunch
for our students Monday – Friday. Should schools be closed, Asheville City Schools will deliver meals to Pisgah View Apartments, Hillcrest Apartments, Klondyke Apartments and Livingston Apartments. Additionally, Isaac Dickson Elementary School will have a
drive-thru option should families prefer a grab and go meal. Our meal service will begin the day after schools close.

FIELD TRIPS:
We would like to reiterate that we have cancelled all field trips – this includes local, in-state, out-of-state and international field trips – for our students and any staff travel outside of the district. These changes will take effect on Monday, March 16 until further notice. We know this decision will have a financial impact on our students and families. Asheville City Schools has begun working with vendors to determine possible refunds. Specifics regarding fees paid and possible refunds will be addressed at a future date since the circumstances are unique.

Although current information is rapidly changing about the coronavirus, as of today, we have no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Buncombe County. The measures we are taking are all proactive and precautionary. Additionally, while there are no immediate plans to close any of our schools, we
do advise our families to begin making arrangements for childcare should that action become necessary.

We are continuing to work on plans to address a range of impacts the coronavirus may have on Asheville City Schools. If you have questions or concerns, you might want to call your healthcare provider directly, check Buncombe County Health and Human Services’s COVID-19 website, see the latest from the Centers for Disease Control, or call Shane Cassida, our Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services, at (828) 350-6131.

Thank you for your continued support as we implement these additional measures. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more about the progress of the coronavirus.