COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES

No. During the 2020-2021 school year, the Tennessee Department of Education allowed districts and schools to submit “Continuity of Learning Plans”, or CLPs. Those CLPs gave schools the ability to provide virtual, hybrid or in-person learning based on each school’s specific needs. As a part of these CLPs, parents were allowed to keep their students in virtual learning all year. During the 2021-2022 school year, the state has revised the CLP process, and schools can only apply for an exception for in-person instruction under very limited circumstances. The Tennessee Department of Education has stated that if districts were to close due to COVID, we would have to use inclement weather days.

If you have a student in grades K-3, there is no option for virtual learning. Parents were able to choose virtual instruction during the 2020-2021 school year through the CLPs. During the 2021-2022 school year remote learning is only an option if you have a student in grades 4-12, and this option is run through MNPS Virtual School. Enrollment for MNPS Virtual School closed in June 2021.

There is a process where schools can apply for a 7-day waiver from the Tennessee Department of Education to allow for classrooms or schools to shift to remote learning. The Tennessee Department of Education has messaged that these waivers are a last resort and that schools need to focus on safety and mitigation efforts. Any decision KIPP makes to apply for a waiver would be based on a recommendation from the Metro Public Health Department.

If your student must quarantine, they will be sent home with learning materials and assignments. It is our expectation that students, health permitting, continue doing their schoolwork and submitting assignments.

Yes. In order for a student to be marked present during quarantine, they need to complete their assignments and follow the instructions from their school on how to turn that work in. If students are not feeling well during quarantine, students may have excused absences and will be given the opportunity to make up work.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and families is our number one priority. In our schools, we are taking every measure to keep students safe and minimize learning disruption. This includes, mask-wearing indoors and on buses, frequent hand washing and sanitizing, social distancing as much as possible, sneeze guards, frequently sanitizing high traffic and high touch areas, and the use of seating charts to minimize the number of people impacted by a positive case and allow for easier contact tracing.

All KIPP Nashville schools have a nurse on staff and we are able to conduct rapid COVID tests on a case-by-case basis for students and staff who are symptomatic or have been exposed. If someone tests positive on site, they are immediately isolated and sent home to begin their quarantine. If someone receives a positive COVID diagnosis outside of the school, our school teams are notified and begin the contact tracing process.

We are following the recommendations outlined by the CDC. Students seated less than three feet away from a positive case are automatically considered a close contact. Students seated within 3-5 feet of a positive case will not be defined as close contacts and will not need to quarantine, as long as they are not showing symptoms and masks were worn properly and consistently in the classroom by both parties. Our school teams work closely with the Metro Public Health Department during the contact tracing process.