NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Dr. Adrienne Battle announced that the district's phased plan for students to return to in-person learning has been placed on hold for 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
Students in grades Pre-K through 4 and those with exceptional needs who chose in-person learning will continue to report to school until further notice while we continue to closely evaluate safety conditions in schools.
Metro Nashville School Board members passionately voiced their concerns over the current state of learning in the district during an emergency work session Friday.
Nashville has recently hit new highs in COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations. And schools are seeing similar cluster outbreaks.
The increase in cases prompted Friday's special-called meeting in which board members could briefly explain whether or not the plan should move forward. By the end, Board Chair Christine Buggs recommended to Dr. Battle the district keep middle and high students in virtual learning and elementary and exceptional learning in the classroom.
However, not all members were in agreement. As Buggs concluded the meeting, board member Fran Bush spoke over Buggs saying, "I am not in agreement. I want to make sure that I am on record that I do not agree with it and you have the wrong numbers."
A few hours after the meeting, Dr. Battle announced the district's decision saying in a press release, “The threat from COVID-19 spreading in our community at ever-larger numbers requires us to pause our in-person phase-in process so that we can be sure that we are not endangering the lives of our students, staff, or their families."
District officials said in the announcement that they will continue to monitor the COVID-19 metrics in Nashville and announce a new schedule for phasing students in once we see improvements in the effort to stop the spread of this virus.
“We urge all residents of Nashville to wear masks whenever possible, practice social distancing, and follow the health care experts’ advice on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 so that we can safely welcome back students into the classroom,” Dr. Battle said in the release.
High school students are tentatively scheduled to return in January.
Watch the full meeting below:
