Wicomico Co. Schools Suspend In-Person Hybrid Instruction

Wicomico County Public Schools plan to return to all-virtual instruction for the rest of the semester. There will be no hybrid in-person instruction effective Wednesday and continuing through December 18th.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donna Hanlin outlined the recommendation during a virtual special meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education, which gave its unanimous approval. The school system is hopeful that health metrics will improve by early 2021 to allow in-person hybrid learning to resume.

“The surge that we are seeing in our county is definitely impacting our schools,” Donna Hanlin said during the meeting.

“For our students and staff, safety is the key,” Board Vice Chairman Gene Malone added. “We’re doing this for the safety of everyone involved in our schools, and the safety of everyone in our community.”

More details were provided in a news release from Wicomico County Schools:

Here’s what will happen now:
 In-person instruction will continue through the end of the day today in our schools.
 On Wednesday, all students will have asynchronous learning; there will not be any small group activities at our schools during this time of all virtual learning.
 Starting Thursday, students will participate in synchronous instruction four days a week on the schedule that their school has been following. Teachers may continue to teach from their classrooms, or they may choose to teach from home.
 After-school in-person activities including band and athletics are on hold for now.
 Special Education assessments will continue with full health and safety precautions, as long as there is parent or guardian consent.
 As currently planned, and dependent upon improved community health metrics, all
grades from Prekindergarten through Grade 8 would have hybrid, in-person instruction
starting the week of January 4 th . High school students choosing hybrid would start in-
person instruction the week of February 2 nd .
 Middle and high school parents and guardians should respond by November 24 th to the
Student Learning Survey, so schools can create schedules for the second semester.
 Meal bundles will continue to be available at curbside at every school each school day,
8-10 a.m. at middle and high schools, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at elementary schools, and both
times at Pittsville Elementary and Middle. Meals are not given out from Choices or
WELC, or currently Delmar Elementary.