March 16, 2021

Changes to Return to School Plan

As community health metrics continue to improve and vaccinations in the community increase, we are making adjustments to our return to school plan. Please see the adjustments below and let me know if you have any questions. Keep up the great work and let's finish strong!

• In private meetings, where everyone in the room has been vaccinated, those who have been vaccinated may choose to not wear a mask. If there is any question regarding the vaccination status of anyone in the room, the default practice for everyone will be to wear a mask.  

• In order to improve instructional communication, teachers who are fully vaccinated may deliver whole group instruction while wearing a face shield as long as there is ten feet or more of distance between the teacher and the next closest person. In small and individual instructional settings, masks must be worn.

• In December, when the number of community COVID cases were greatly elevated, the decision was made to allow some employees to work from home on Fridays.  Beginning the week of April 5 (the week after spring break), all employees who have been working at home on Fridays will return to their assigned work locations.  We realize that working virtually has provided flexibility that we did not have pre-COVID and can be a benefit to the school division.  Therefore, on a case-by-case basis, an employee may request to work virtually, through their immediate supervisor, to the superintendent. 

Thank you,

Keith Perrigan

Superintendent 

Bristol Virginia Public Schools

220 Lee St.

Bristol, VA 24201

(276) 821-5600

@BristolSuper

Preparing Students to Thrive in a Dynamically Changing World