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Athens Schools Temporarily Shifting Back To Virtual Instruction After Holidays
By: David Forster
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens City Schools will shift back to full remote instruction for the first three weeks of January after students return from winter break.
The change is in response to the growing COVID-19 caseload in Athens County, including several cases involving teachers, staff and students over the past couple of weeks in the Athens City School District.
Superintendent Tom Gibbs said the decision was made in collaboration with the Athens City-County Health Department.
Gibbs notified parents of the change in an email early Wednesday evening.
The district plans to continue with its current hybrid model until Dec. 21, which is the last day of school before the two-week winter break begins. Some students are currently going to school for in-person instruction two days a week under the hybrid model.
All students will resume school remotely on Jan. 4 after the holidays. The plan is to return to a hybrid in-person model on Jan. 25.
Whether the hybrid model continues until winter break and resumes again at the end of January depends on the number of local COVID-19 cases and the impact on the healthcare system, Gibbs said.
The Board of Education is holding a special meeting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to get an update on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting local schools.