By: Ray King
The superintendent of the Pine Bluff School District said Tuesday he and his staff are exploring options for graduating seniors who currently will not get to walk because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on Talk Back Live with Floyd Donald, Dr. Jeremy Owoh said he hoped schools, which have been closed since early March will be able to reopen in May but if not, school officials are considering things like a virtual graduation and even a virtual prom.
“It’s their senior year and they only get one of those,” he said. “Their parents only get one of those. We’re exhausting all the possibilities and it may be in a different format.”
That could include going into June or July to hold events.
“We’re going to do what we can until we’re told we can’t,” he said.
Owoh said that even though the schools are shut down, administrators and faculty members are still meeting on a regular basis, only now those meetings are “mostly virtual.”
“The teachers miss the kids and the administrators miss the kids,” he said. We miss seeing the kids in the hallways and in the classrooms. We would like to get back to business as usual but we’re not there yet.”
Owoh said that beginning Thursday, students in grades 3 through 12 will be receiving chrome books that can access the internet and the district has also been working with housing projects and churches to help students who do not have access to the internet. In addition, the district is planning to equip some buses with computers and park them at various locations.
Students in Pre-K through second grade will receive hard copy study material.
On the subject of meals for students, Owoh said that the district has been providing breakfast and lunch and beginning next week, will also provide dinner.
