Metro Nashville Public School Students Could Be Returning To In-Person Learning Soon

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

January 29, 2021

MNPS’s COVID-19 risk score is down to 6.7 today. If the score continues to remain below 7 over the weekend, the district will provide parents, staff, and students a schedule by Monday afternoon for phasing students back into school buildings.

The risk score, which measures the level of danger in our community from the virus, is now at its lowest level since MNPS introduced it in November, and it’s below the district’s threshold of when we could start to phase students back into the classroom.  The risk score is calculated using three metrics: the 7-day average positivity rate weighted at 20 percent, the 7-day average of new cases per 100,000 residents weighted at 60 percent, and the transmission rate weighted at 20 percent.

MNPS’s leadership will continue to update and monitor the risk score over the weekend, and if the numbers today are sustained, scheduling the return to in-person learning can begin Monday so everyone can make the plans and preparations they need to seamlessly transition.

In an email to MNPS families today, Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle said the district will work to quickly and safely phase students back in,  starting with students with exceptional needs and the youngest learners in grades pre-K-4, followed by our transition grades of 5 and 9, and then the rest of our middle school and high school students.

“The phase-in process will give our staff and administrators time to prepare their students and families for the protocols and procedures that will take place, as many haven’t been in classrooms since March of last year,” Dr. Battle said.  

 The return to the classroom will be for students whose parents chose the in-person option. Those who chose virtual learning will continue to learn remotely for the remainder of the school year, and the district will continue to offer every level of support possible to make sure students have a quality educational experience and their social-emotional needs are being met.  

Look for more information about the phasing-in schedule Monday if the city’s COVID metrics continue to move in the right direction over the weekend.

COVID Testing 

When students start returning to the classroom, schools will operate a bit differently than those who returned last fall might remember.  

MNPS partnered with Meharry Medical College in December to strengthen safety protocols within our schools. One key component of that will be COVID-19 testing of our staff and students to identify and quickly isolate those who have the virus so we can reduce the chance for further exposure.  

When we started the school year in August, mass testing was not feasible due to the supply of testing materials, the invasiveness of the process, the time it took to get test results, and other logistical and financial challenges posed at the time.  

Since then, the availability of rapid tests has greatly increased. These tests are less invasive, easy to administer, and will allow for results in about 15 minutes. It’s important to know that these rapid tests are a bit less sensitive than PCR tests, which are the ones the city administers at their community assessment centers. We will be using those tests as well in some circumstances as a way of verifying the efficacy of the rapid tests.  

We cannot require students to take these tests to attend school, but we would greatly appreciate families allowing your students to participate so that we can help to prevent transmission of the virus, which could result in large quarantines or classroom or school closures.  

Please be on the lookout for further details about COVID testing plans in the coming week.

Resources for Students and Families 

Metro Schools is committed to the education and support of students and families, whether our students are learning virtually or in the classroom. To that end, we have services and support to assist in a variety of ways.

Student meals are available for pickup three days a week and provide food for seven days.

Help with technology, laptops, learning tools is available in person at four schools, online or on the phone. Translators are available, too.

Homework Hotline is a free service for help with school or tutoring. The number is (615) 298-6636.

The MNPS Healthy Youth Community Resource Guide connects you to resources and support offered in our community, from health, mental health, academic support and more.

School counselors, psychologists, nurses and more are available to each of our students and families.

Please reach out to your school if you need anything. There’s more information on the Student and Family Support page.

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.