Tuesday’s school board meeting made it clear that Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) doesn’t have an exact date for getting kids back in the classroom. As in past weeks, Metro Nashville Board of Public Education reiterated that reopening would be contingent on the level of community spread charted by the city.
In a director’s report presented by District 6 representative Fran Bush, it was revealed that the current level of community spread sits at 8. Bush repeated the same information found on the MNPS website regarding reopening: in order to gradually reopen, the measurement needs to be at 7 or below.
“Once we get to that point, we will release some anticipated dates for returning students to the classroom, starting with our students with the most exceptional needs and pre-K-4 students,” explained Bush. “Assuming continued and sustained progress in the metrics for the several days, those students will be followed by grades 5 and 9. And then, the remaining middle and high school students.”
Bush is now facing an ethics complaint for pro-reopening school arguments made on social media.
All grade levels have been closed for in-person learning since November, while middle and high school students are nearing their one-year anniversary of distance learning. Recently, parent coalitions rallied against Metro Nashville School Board Chair Christiane Buggs for her social activities prior to closing schools, which included an Election Day watch party at a restaurant and a vacation in St. Lucia.
The Tennessee Star reached out to Buggs for comment. She didn’t respond by press time.
One of the parent coalitions, Let Nashville Parents Choose (LNPC), submitted a letter to the board requesting schools reopen by February 1st. They questioned what reopening plans the board had, if any.
“We recognize that MNPS senior leaders and the Board all are doing what they think is safest and best for children and staff,” wrote LNPC. “However, in this rapidly changing pandemic, the science and guidance has changed dramatically to favor opening schools. Regrettably, most of our elected Board of Education members have failed to follow the science and have dismissed the concerns of parents. They have also neglected to hold their duty to hold MNPS leadership accountable for making a plan to reopen.”
Beyond the metrics issued by the city, there doesn’t appear to be any proactive plans in place for reopening schools. The fate for in-person learning will continue to be determined by COVID-19 case rates.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Keep ‘em stupid.
This is the same board that the state has severely chastised for not being able to account for $10 million grant that the district received as part of the COVID relief package. To say that they are inept would be a very high compliment.