News Release NPPSD
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Public Schools (NPPS) releases our 2020 – 2021 District Return To School Plan amidst ever-changing directives on a federal, state, and local level. District Superintendent Dr. Ron Hanson submitted a return to school resolution to the NPPS Board of Education on Monday, July 13, 2020, that will allow NPPS administration the go-ahead to move forward plans to return to school this fall. This resolution will be voted on during the August 10, 2020, meeting.
Hanson stated, 'As you know, there continues to be concerns and questions related to how schools plan to reopen in August 2020. While we are in the business of educating, our priority is the safety of our students and staff.' Dr. Hanson and his directors have been diligently working on the district return to school plan since May. He went on to add, 'We have gathered input from parents, staff, community stakeholders, administrators, state leaders, the Nebraska Department of Education, and medical professionals via surveys, committee meetings, and work sessions, and weekly West Center District Health Department Command Center meetings. Administrators have been planning for increased safety procedures that can be taken at every location.' NPPS is very excited to have students back in their buildings with each person's health and safety in mind.
Based on the guidance of the district return to school plan, each NPPS principal will provide a 'Playbook' that will identify specific details for their building. The playbook will include items such as drop-off areas and times, face-covering requirements, what to do when a student is not feeling well, and how to handle specific questions from families related to COVID-19. School playbooks will be available on each school's website the week of July 27, 2020.
Based on the current DHM as well as guidance from the West Central Health Department and the Nebraska Department of Education, NPPS plans to return to school, as expected, on August 17th and 18th.
NPPS is planning to start school in August with the following guidance:
· Students in grades Pre-K through 12 will attend school in person.
· Accommodations will be made for K-12 students who are unable to attend in-person to utilize online learning through Zoom, Google Classroom, Edgenuity, and other remote learning tools. Students will have recorded lessons available with the possibility of some live instruction.
· Remote Learning Requirement Forms: Elementary, Middle School, High School
· Based on current recommendations from WCDHD and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, NPPS highly recommends face coverings to be worn by students, staff, visitors, and other building users while at school. NPPS will provide cloth face covering for students and staff who do not have them available. Students are welcome to bring and wear their own appropriate multilayered cloth face coverings.
Click Here for more information on the CDC recommendation on face coverings.
Superintendent Hanson encourages families and supporters to follow the district on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). To view the District Return to School Plan, please visit the district website at nppsd.org.
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Dear NPPS students, staff, families, and community,
Thank you for your support and understanding as we, as a nation, state, and community, responded to the unexpected interruption of the COVID-19 in March. I am very proud of the way our NPPS students, staff, parents, and community leaders handled the demands we were faced with to protect everyone as we continued to educate, provide mental health services, and feed our students during the most unfamiliar conditions.
As you know, there continues to be concerns and questions related to how schools plan to reopen in August 2020. While we are in the business of educating, our first priority is the safety of our students and staff. Be certain, we have been working diligently on our NPPS 2020- 2021 Return-to-School Plans. Due to all the factors and information needed to plan as COVID-19 issues unfold, the comprehensive NPPS Return to School Plan will be released on or before Thursday, July 27th. Our plan is to return to school in person with enhanced safety and cleaning procedures. However, we must be proactive and be prepared during these ever-changing times to continue educating our students if and when circumstances change, as predicted, throughout the year related to the health and safety of our students and staff.
We have gathered input from parents, staff, community stakeholders, administrators, state leaders, the Nebraska Department of Education, and medical professionals via surveys, committee meetings and work sessions, and weekly West Center District Health Department Command Center meetings. Administrators have been planning for increased safety procedures that can be taken at every location.
North Platte Public Schools, in collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Education and West Central District Public Health, has developed guidance to support the district and community in determining their plans and strategies for reopening schools. NPPS’ Return-to-School Plan provides a tiered approach with clear, actionable steps that are advisable before students and staff return to school buildings, along with guidance that is applicable throughout the 2020-2021 school year.
This plan is developed upon the guidance and recommendations of health officials; it is to a great extent aligned to the reopening guidelines that have been provided by our state and federal leaders, and it’s designed to help districts prioritize the health and safety of students and teachers as they open school buildings and deliver instruction for the 2020-2021 school year.
I encourage parents to frequently visit our webpage nppsd.org and follow our social media for up to date and accurate information. There is some misinformation being disseminated which leads to unnecessary confusion. Everyone must understand there is no way for us to please all as we make these decisions. Our priority is to keep everyone safe while not making life more difficult for our parents and guardians. Each family situation is uniquely different. We fully understand your varied concerns about health and safety, distance learning, the importance of face-to-face instruction, parents needing to work, the economy, and all of the other unexpected consequences of not being in school or being in school in a traditional method.
NPPS is planning to start school in August with the following guidance:
- Students in grades Pre-K through 12 will attend school in person.
- Accommodations will be made for K-12 students who are unable to attend in-person to utilize online learning through Zoom, Google Classroom, Edgenuity, and other remote learning tools. Students will have recorded lessons available with the possibility of some live instruction.Remote Learning Requirement Forms: Elementary, Middle School, High School
- Remote Learning Requirement Forms: Elementary, Middle School, High School
- Based on current recommendations from WCDHD and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, NPPS highly recommends face coverings to be worn by students, staff, visitors, and other building users while at school. NPPS will provide cloth face covering for students and staff who do not have them available. Students are welcome to bring and wear their own appropriate multilayered cloth face coverings.
- Click Here for more information on the CDC recommendation on face coverings.
By July 27, school administrators will finalize school plans and begin sharing with parents regarding their Return to School Plans for the upcoming school year. As we continue the NPPS Return to School planning process, we will keep you updated.
Thank you for your continued support and positivity as we strive to do what is best for all of our students and staff during these challenging times, and for making North Platte School District a great place to work and learn.
Dr. Ron Hanson, NPPS Superintendent
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Return-to-School Resources & Plan
The purpose of the Return-to-School is to provide a framework for how North Platte Public Schools will respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the educational program at North Platte School District during the 2020-2021 school year. The framework is structured using focus area categories in order to allow the district to be open and responsive to changing public health circumstances. The presence of a formal plan will also support the district in articulating its plan for next fall in a clear, comprehensive, and transparent manner.
Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs
A) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools-decision-tool.html
B) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html
The planning for reopening schools creates an opportunity to renew a shared commitment to improving outcomes for all students. We should not try to return to “normal” but rather strive for something better.
Schools, working together with local health departments, have an important role in slowing the spread of diseases and protecting vulnerable students and staff, to help ensure students have safe and healthy learning environments.
Guidance for child care programs and schools is organized into four categories based on the level of community transmission:
1) when there is no community transmission – No to Minimal Area Risk/Spread,
2) when there is minimal to moderate community transmission – Minimal to Moderate Area Risk/Spread, and
3) when there is substantial community transmission.
4) Confirmed COVID-19 Case in School Building Regardless of Degree of Community Risk
- Short (2-5 days) building dismissal to clean, disinfect, and contract trace in consultation with local health officials.
- Potential 14+ day closure depending upon public health recommendations. Guidance is also provided for when a confirmed case has entered a school, regardless of the level of community transmission.
All decisions about implementing school-based strategies (e.g., dismissals, event cancellations, other social distancing measures) should be made locally, in collaboration with local health
officials who can help determine the level of transmission in the community. Information about the level of transmission is available in CDC’s framework for mitigationpdf icon.
Tentative Timeline of Events
*This timeline is under constant review and is subject to change anytime
- June 8, 2020 – Board of Education Meeting – Progress Report to the Board
- June 10, 2020 - District Leaders & Principals Return-to-School Work Session
- June 29, 2020 – NPPS Return-to-School Progress Report
- July 6 – 17, 2020 – Parent/Guardian Survey and/or Parent/Guardian Information Sessions – pending DHMs (NPPS Website)
- July 13, 2020 – NPPS Return-to-School Progress Report
- July 13, 2020 – Board of Education Progress Report
- July 27, 2020 - District Leaders & Principal Return-to-School Work Session – Finalize Return-to-School Plan
- August 4-6, 2020 – New Teacher Training
- August 3 – 14, 2020 – Community Webinars - TBD
- August 11-14, 2020 – All Teacher Training
- August 17, 2020 – First Day K-8th & 9th grades
- August 18, 2020 – First Day 10th-12th grades
NPPS Core Planning Team
District - Return to School Committee: District Leaders and Principals & Nurse
School - Return to School Committee: Continuous Improvement Team members – counselor – custodian – nurse
Parents/Guardians – Return to School Participants – To Be Determined
*This information is under constant review and subject to update at any time.