HAYESVILLE, N.C. – Clay County Schools have opted for a two cohort model once students return to class for the 2020-2021 year.

All schools except for the pre-k will follow an A/B schedule. Students will be broken into two groups. The A group will go to school on Monday and Tuesday while the B group attends class on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will be a virtual learning day for students and a deep cleaning day at the school.

Parents and guardians can also select to place their children in entirely online learning.

At Hayesville Primary, elementary, and middle schools the teachers will change classes, not the students. Hayesville High School (HHS) students will be switching classes because the majority, 43.9 percent of parents voted for that option.

Homes with multiple school-age children will have those children placed in the same cohort so they can attend school on the same days. Cohorts will consist of 150 to 200 students.

School survey responses from parents and teachers.

With the two day model, students can receive two days of attending all their 90-minute learning blocks in a controlled environment. They also have access to all school amenities including teachers, high-speed internet, counseling, and tech support.

This model isn’t the safest option due to the potential exposure of 150 to 200 students twice a week. It also places the heaviest load on teachers who must create lessons for in-person and remote children.

Schools will release information about which Clay County students will be in Cohort A and Cohort B on Wednesday, August 5 at 4:00. Students in Cohort A will attend each week on Monday and Tuesday beginning August 17. Students in Cohort B will attend each week on Thursday and Friday beginning August 20.

33 percent of parents selected fully remote learning in the return to school survey.

As for faculty, 45 percent of HHS staff were in favor of fully remote, and 30 percent chose the two cohort model.

If the school or county reaches a five percent COVID-19 infection rate, a decision will be made about closing the school buildings again. Currently, Clay County is at a less than one percent infection rate.

All students attending in-person classes will always be required to wear a mask with scheduled outdoor breaks. Faculty and students will be given five masks from the state. They must wash masks at home and can decorate the masks.

During break times, students will separate and safely remove their masks. They won’t be allowed to congregate in groups at any time during the school day. Students will always be sat six feet apart.

Remote learning children will be locked into the program for five weeks at a time. Parents must contact the school by September 11 if they wish to transition their child back into in-person instruction. Students can switch from in-person to remote at any time. In both instances, the principal must be notified ahead of time.

The Pre-K school will be fully open five days a week.

Clay County Schools Superintendent Dale Cole reviewed this model with stakeholders and the Clay County Health Department and all felt comfortable moving forward with this model.