Onslow County finalizes back to school plan, cleaning protocols

ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Although school district officials say they were hoping for a complete return to school, Onslow County is rolling out the new year with a blend of in-person and remote learning.

“We’re going on five months out of school right now since the initial announcement came for schools to be closed. We were looking for the opportunity to get back in and get the kids back in the classroom with their teachers,” said Chief Communications Officer for Onslow County Schools Brent Anderson.

The district decided to alternate in-person days within each week. Students will be assigned a cohort (A or B) and attend school in-person two days each week and learn remotely three days a week on an alternating basis.

“The kids need to be there. We are a tremendous support for families and getting the kids back in the building was a big necessity for getting education back up and rolling,” said Anderson.

There will be regular cleaning throughout the week, but on Wednesday’s, all students will be learning remotely to allow time for deep cleaning.

“Wednesday cleaning will be a little more thorough, especially in the high traffic and high touch areas. We have purchased some additional equipment that each school will be able to have, like a Clorox 360 machine that will be able to go in and do some deep and more thorough buildings,” Anderson explained.

Right now, the county is also looking to hire more bus drivers. While many school districts, including Onslow County, anticipate more parent drop-off’s, Anderson says they are always looking to get ahead and hire more bus drivers.

“We’re always in need of bus drivers. We are anticipating that we will see more car riders at the beginning of the year as people the transition back in. We got behind a little bit with COVID. It made it a little difficult to have bus training classes. That put us a little behind, so we’re looking for how to bring those things together,” Anderson explained.

To learn more about Onslow County Schools plan, click here.

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