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Carter County Schools will be returning to a hybrid schedule on Nov. 30. 
This decision follows two weeks of virtual learning due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. 
This hybrid model follows students attending school in-person two days per week, such as Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. This model will be in place until Dec. 18. 
“We are striving for a consistent schedule for the month of December,” Tracy McAbee, director of schools, wrote in the announcement. “This model will allow students to be at school for some days, and still allow us to socially distance much better than 100 percent in-person learning.”
McAbee spoke on learning models, noting that there has been a plan. Supervisors and the Health Department are a part of weekly meetings to help aid in decisions regarding school. He said the general agreement was in favor of this hybrid model.
“We’re going to do this the full three weeks that are between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break, and parents can have some continuity of what’s coming,” he said. 
With that being said, a horrible spike could warrant all virtual. McAbee said he believes for the time being, this model is a lot more sustainable.
McAbee said there are two major advantages of the hybrid schedule. 
“Obviously we like our students, especially kindergarten and first grade, to be there as many days as they possibly could, but right now they’ve not been there in-person for three weeks,” he explained. “The biggest positive is we get them a couple of days and can see where they’re at and help them.”
The additional benefit besides getting to have students there is the ability to do so safely, with more abilities to social distance. 
On the days students are not at school, meals will be available for pickup. 
Despite the schedule changes, there is still a very real need for substitutes in Carter County.
“We’ve told everybody, talk to your neighbors, talk to your family members, we’ve even reached out to retired teachers,” he said. “If you’re willing to sub, we sure could use you.”
The Carter County School Board will be meeting in December where conversations regarding learning models will likely be a hot topic. 
For the latest information on Carter County Schools, go to www.carterk12.net, check out their Facebook page or call 423-547-4000.