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CALCUTTA -- When Beaver Local students arrive for the start of school on Tuesday, they will not have to stay as long.
Superintendent Eric Lowe announced last week the school day will be reduced by an hour so teachers can use the time to focus on helping students who have chosen to remain home and learn online because of the COVID-19 virus.
"We're trying to set up the best way to support families in both environments," he said, in a video posted to the school Facebook page.
Nearly 80 percent of Beaver Local parents have chosen to send their children back to school when the new year begins Tuesday, but 22 percent have opted to continue having their children learn online at home through the Beaver Local Online Academy. Lowe said it is important teachers have the time to attend to students who have chosen to learn online and be available to speak with students and parents.
"We want to make sure teachers have regular interaction not only with students in school but those learning at home," he said.
Students in K-4 will get out of school at 2:30 p.m. and those in grades in 5-12 will be released at 1:30 p.m. To come up with the hour reduction, Lowe said they will be reducing each of the class periods by six minutes.
Officials chose taking the hour off at the end of the day instead of the morning because they know from speaking with parents that moving the starting time in the morning would have been more problematic for most households.
Lowe said the one-hour early dismissal is not only to benefit online students but will give the custodial staff more time to clean and sanitize the building, classrooms, restrooms, cafeteria, etc., in preparation for the next day. The extra time will benefit those sanitizing the buses as well.
Beaver Local is not alone in doing this. Lowe said the Crestview, Columbiana and East Liverpool schools district have also enacted one-hour early dismissal policies as well.
The plan is for the early dismissal to remain in place at least through the first nine weeks and possibly until the end of the first semester on Nov. 13.
Even with the reduction, Lowe said Beaver Local students will still get enough instructional hours to meet the state minimum standards because the school board has already amended the school calendar to lengthen the school year and shorten Christmas and Easter breaks.
tgiambroni@mojonews.com