Staff Update
Dear TCS Family,
I hope this message finds you safe and well. It has been and remains our goal during this crisis to keep you well informed. This email serves to provide you with an update based on what we know at this time.
Our students deserve their graduation ceremony. Our seniors resoundingly told us last week in a survey that they want a graduation ceremony. We are holding on to hope that we are able to provide a graduation ceremony in July. If July does not happen, we may look at options in the fall. We continue to seek guidance from health officials and the ALSDE on when we think we could host some form of a graduation for our seniors. However, we will not make any decision that places our students, employees, and families in any possible harm from this virus.
We are preparing and responding to the uncertainty in financials. While we anticipate a State budget in the next few weeks that will possibly level-fund education, we still have uncertainty about the overall impact COVID-19 will have on our system's budget. We anticipate funding support with the CARES Act that may help us with responding and preparing to COVID-19. That said, we are preparing for an overall budget reduction in order to make sure we have the required one-month reserve in our system. This means we are planning a series of expense reductions to allow us to build a sound budget for the next fiscal year. This tightening of our expenses this year will allow us to remain prepared for future financial uncertainties.
It is possible that we can have small groups of students on our campuses during the summer. The early guidance we are receiving from the ALSDE is that we may be able to have small groups of students on campuses this summer for athletics, clubs, summer learning, etc. Unfortunately, it is too early for us to make that decision and more guidance will be coming as we receive it. In the meantime, our buildings will remain closed to all with the exception of the office staff/administration and custodians.
We may begin returning to buildings on a staggered schedule in the coming weeks. Depending on the restrictions from the State and City of Tuscaloosa and the health guidelines from the Department of Health, we may begin transitioning to a staggered schedule to have our buildings open during the week for essential business services. Our incredible TCS custodians are already busy preparing our buildings for August 2020. Our Central Office personnel have been coming in to make sure essential services are provided to our employees and families. More information will be provided to select employee groups as we make this transition.
Our hope and our plan is to return to school in August. Based on our information from the ALSDE, we are all preparing to return to school in August 2020. It is likely that we may adjust our start date to be later in August in order to allow more time. While we are planning this much desired return to school, we also have to develop contingency plans for distance learning like we are doing now. Our system is currently doing the following:
- Preparing learning plans that include return to school as normal, total distance learning, and hybrid distance/in-person learning.
- Preparing for the large gaps that may exist when our students return. We are making plans to assess needs as soon as possible to provide true RTI so that we can get our students where they need to be academically.
- Preparing for safety when returning to school. We are working on a "return to school" guide that provides necessary changes in the operations of our schools related to nursing services, response to individuals with symptoms, and many more safety precautions.
- Preparing to meet the social-emotional needs of our students when we get them back. We will have to develop our strengths, skills, and abilities to make sure we provide instruction and services that first meet these essential needs of our students.
We will plan with precision and implement with flexibility.
While there is much uncertainty out there, there are things we know for sure. We know we have the absolute best educators serving the children of the TCS. From our CNP staff who have been relentless in making sure our children have meals to our teachers who continue to provide high expectations in a new environment, we know we have the best. We have seen the true spirit of collaboration and unity in the TCS that make us special, results-oriented, and excellent. We know our students and parents are amazing and that we are all so honored to serve them with such care, professionalism, and excellence. I am proud to be your colleague in this most noble profession and in this incredible school system.
Please know how much the Board of Education and the entire Tuscaloosa community appreciate what you have done and what you are doing. Let's keep our high expectations high!
As always, please call on us if you need anything. We will continue to communicate new information as it comes to us.
Mike Daria, Ed.D.
Superintendent