Roll with the changes

Robbinsville – Graham County Schools keep adapting to the ever-evolving world as we now know it.

Beginning Monday, a new meal distribution plan was put in place. The system originally provided students with meals on a daily basis, but will now distribute meals twice a week – Monday and Wednesday – and enough food will be given out during each session to provide meals for five days a week. The schedule will remain in effect until Wednesday, May 13.

The school system announced Monday to keep the walking trail at the high school open for the public. “Social distancing,” curfew and other trail protocols are expected to be followed.

Elsewhere, decisions made by the N.C. Board of Education will be felt locally.

Included in a Friday press release was the announcement of a grading policy that will enable seniors to graduate on schedule. 

Under the new policy, schools cannot require students to earn more than the state’s minimum requirement of 22 credit hours to graduate.  

Students will also receive grades for all fall courses, and grades accumulated during the fall semester will count toward a student’s grade point average. 

In regards to the spring semester, students will either receive a “pass” or “fail” designation, subject to the last day school was in-session, which was Friday, March 13. If a student was failing, schools are encouraged to help a student pass through remote classroom sessions.

A $50 million allotment to districts – based on enrollment and a particular community’s low-wealth designation – will be divided equally between a school’s average daily membership and a formula that quantifies enrollment with the low-wealth designation.

The State of Emergency will allow school districts the opportunity to continue to pay and provide benefits for employees that cannot work remotely, who have child-care or elder-care needs and are at high risk of COVID-19.