Grades 2-12 Still Attend on A/B Day Schedule; Alternating Fridays In-Person after Easter

The school board voted at their March 9^th meeting in favor of the Superintendent’s recommendation to transition students from half-days of instruction to full days beginning March 22^nd. Students in Grades 2-12 will still attend school on an A/B day schedule. Additionally, after Easter break beginning the week of April 12^th, A/B day students will alternate attending school on Fridays for in-person learning.

The original return to school schedule for the week of March 15^th will remain unchanged, and students in Grades 7, 8, 10, 11 will return to buildings on an A/B day schedule for half days of instruction.

The schedule for the remainder of March is as follows:

• 3/22 and 3/24 – full instructional days for A Day students
• 3/23 and 3/25 – full instructional days for B Day students
• 3/26 – Virtual half day instruction for all students (with the exception of students without connectivity and CCTE skill area who will continue with in-person learning)
• 3/29 and 3/31 - full instructional days for A Day students
• 3/30 - full instructional day for B Day students

Easter break begins on Thursday, April 1^st for ACPS students. This day will be a virtual half-day of instruction for both A and B Day students. Schools will be closed on Friday, April 2^nd and Monday, April 5^th. The schedule upon returning from Easter break is as follows:

• 4/6 and 4/8 - full instructional days for B Day students
• 4/7 - full instructional day for A Day students
• 4/9 - Virtual half day instruction for all students (with the exception of students without connectivity and CCTE skill area who will continue with in-person learning)

Beginning the week of April 12^th, ACPS students will begin an alternating schedule on Fridays for full-day in-person learning. On Friday, April 16^th and Friday, April 30^th, A Day students will attend school in-person, and on Friday, April 23^rd, B Day students will attend school in-person. All other days in April will alternate as normal on an A/B Day schedule with full days of instruction.

Please note that students in Pre-K full-day programs, kindergarten and Grade 1, those students failing or failing to engage in virtual learning, and identified students in special programs will continue to attend school Monday through Thursday and will transition to full days of instruction the week of March 22^nd as well. These student groups will also begin attending school every Friday beginning the week of April 12^th. Additionally, students without connectivity and Career Center skill area students will still attend school in-person five days per week.   

Also beginning on March 22^nd, pre-kindergarten students currently enrolled in a half-day A.M. program should arrive at their school’s scheduled start time and will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., with the exception of Mt. Savage, who will dismiss at approximately 10:50 a.m. Pre-k students currently enrolled in a half-day P.M. program should arrive at their school at 12:30 p.m. and will dismiss at the school’s regularly scheduled dismissal time. All pre-k students will begin attending school every Friday for in-person learning beginning the week of April 12^th.

Click HERE to view the calendars. 

Published 3/10/21 

Options for More In-Person Opportunities to be reviewed at Next Board Meeting

Allegany County Public Schools will begin the transition back to school buildings for concurrent in-person/hybrid learning on the following schedule:

• Monday, March 1, 2021 - Students in Grades Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1; students failing or failing to engage in virtual learning; and identified students with special needs (M, T, W, Th; and Friday all virtual)
• Monday, March 8, 2021 - Students in Grades 2-5, 6, 9, 12 (See details below)
• Monday, March 15, 2021 - Students in Grades 7, 8, 10, 11 (See details below)

Students in Grades 2-5, 6-8, and 9-12 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A-B-A-B schedule. A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day, and the current virtual day schedule will be followed. 

On days that students come to the school building, students should report to their bus stop at their normal pick-up times. Schools will open at their regularly scheduled times, and elementary schools will be dismissed daily at 1:30 p.m. while middle and high schools will dismiss daily between 12:15-12:30 p.m. Any parent/guardian with questions should contact their student's school for details.

“We are excited to welcome students back to our buildings,” said Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Jeff Blank. “We will continue to review options to provide students with more in-person learning opportunities in the near future, and these options will be discussed further with the elected board at the March 9^th school board meeting.”

Published 2/26/21

HYBRID/IN-PERSON LEARNING PLAN UPDATE: The Board of Education voted on the following plan for a return to hybrid/in-person learning at their special meeting today, Monday, January 25, 2021:

IMPORTANT WEATHER UPDATE: Since the Allegany County Public School System now has the ability to offer remote learning in a synchronous format, there will not be any announcements this winter season, while students are in a fully-virtual format, regarding school delays or closings due to inclement weather. Students will still be required to participate in virtual learning via Schoology during the morning hours, just as they do on a typical day. If the weather does not permit ACPS to serve meals, an announcement will be made via our Blackboard notification system and posted on the ACPS website and social media pages on a particular morning. 

Published 12/14/20

VIRTUAL LEARNING FORMAT UPDATE: The school board voted at their December 8th meeting to have all ACPS students remain in a fully-virtual learning format through the end of this year and into the beginning of January 2021. The school board will further discuss return to school plans, the availability of adequate staffing, and county health metrics at their January 12th meeting and will provide further guidance at that time.

Published 12/8/20

The Allegany County Public School System has worked diligently with the collaboration of the Allegany County Health Department to maintain in-person education in ACPS.  However, with the shortage of staff available to provide in-person instruction, and the rising COVID-19 metrics in Allegany County, ACPS finds it necessary to return all students to a 100% virtual model at this time. 

Students should log into their Schoology accounts and follow their virtual schedule for Monday, November 9, 2020. All Allegany County Public School buildings will be CLOSED to students and the public during this time.  Employees will receive additional direction from the Human Resources department by email. ACPS will continue to review employee data, as well as county metrics, and will make a decision on Thursday, November 12, 2020, as to whether in-person education can resume on Monday, November 16^th.

As of today, November 7^th, ACPS reports an additional four individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within an Allegany County Public School.  During the week of November 2^nd, ACPS had 101 staff members who were unable to report to work due to a COVID-19 related issue.  As of today, ACPS has 110 staff members in this situation. These staff members include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and individuals who are quarantined due to close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Many of these individuals are quarantining for a period of 14 days.

Published 11/7/20

BOE SPECIAL SESSION AND COVID-19 UPDATE: 

The Board of Education of Allegany County met in a Special Session today, Friday, November 6, 2020, where Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Jeff Blank, provided an update on COVID-19 and the impact it is having on staffing. The school board voted to give Mr. Blank the authority to return to virtual learning, if necessary, based on future staffing concerns.

In addition, Mrs. Debbie Metheny, ACPS Supervisor of Student Services and Special Education, provided the school board with the school system's weekly COVID-19 update, which is as follows:

Central office staff are currently working on logistical details for phasing in students at the middle school level. The phased-in approach will begin with Grade 6 students only. The tentative start date for Grade 6 students will be Monday, November 16, 2020.

Students in Grade 6 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A-B-A-B schedule. Middle schools will be dismissed daily at 12:30 p.m.

A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day.

Parents of Grade 6 students will be provided with a parent letter, COVID symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines, and the public information officer will release an official announcement of the start date once all logistical details are finalized.

Principals at both the middle and high school levels are in the process of providing opt-out information to parents. The opt-out letters provide an overview of the daily instructional day.

A sample hybrid middle school student schedule and a sample hybrid high school student schedule are provided for reference. Please note that final schedules will be modified for each school’s bus arrival and bus dismissal time. Determining how many students will be opting out of in-person learning is critical to determining staffing needs for the hybrid schedule at the middle and high school levels.  

Please note that we are only in the initial stages of planning the secondary transition. It will be a careful and deliberate process as we phase in the middle school grades, beginning with Grade 6. Please keep in mind that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents through the ACPS website and Blackboard notification system.  Your patience is greatly appreciated as we work out all of the details for the middle schools.  

An update on the secondary hybrid plan will be discussed at the November school board meeting.

Published 10/29/20

On Monday, November 2, 2020, Allegany County Public Schools (ACPS) will begin the implementation of the hybrid learning model for fifth grade students. Fifth graders will report to their bus stop for their normal pick-up time.  Schools will be dismissed daily at 1:30 p.m. Students in Grade 5 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A-B-A-B schedule. A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day, and the current virtual day schedule will be followed. If a parent has elementary children with two different last names that would cause them to attend on different days, the parent should call the principal to arrange whether the siblings will attend on an A Day or B Day.

Please note that there is NO SCHOOL on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020, in observance of  Election Day. Students who are to be in-person on Tuesdays and Thursdays (last names M-Z) will not start in-person learning until Thursday, November 5, 2020. The elementary hybrid schedule this first week will be A-OFF-A-B-Virtual. 

Parents will be provided with their child’s in-person learning schedule for his or her grade level as well as with a parent letter, COVID symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines.  Parents were also informed that they had the right to “opt-out" of the in-person/hybrid learning model and have their child remain in a virtual learning environment. The deadline for completing the opt-out form was September 28, 2020.   As Grade 5 enters school for in-person learning next week, these children will participate in a “Virtual School” facilitated by a certified teacher.  A parent who has opted out of in-person/hybrid learning can select to “opt-in” at the end of nine-week marking period, with a start date activation for the next marking period.  

Central office staff are currently working on logistical details for phasing in students at the middle school level. The phased-in approach will begin with Grade 6 students. The tentative start date for Grade 6 students will be Monday, November 16, 2020. Students in Grade 6 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A-B-A-B schedule. Middle schools will be dismissed daily at 12:30 p.m. A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day.

Principals at the middle and high school levels are in the process of providing opt-out information to parents over the next few days. The opt-out letters provide an overview of the daily instructional day. Students at both the middle school and high school levels will have all of their classes through a shortened class period. Friday will be a virtual day, and students will follow their hybrid schedule for the virtual day.   Determining how many students will be opting out of in-person learning is critical to determining staffing needs for the hybrid schedule at the middle and high school levels. Please note that we are only in the initial stages of planning the secondary transition. Your patience is greatly appreciated as we work out all of the logistical details.

Additional information will be forthcoming for middle and high schools in the near future as the hybrid schedules, staffing, and phase-in dates are finalized. Updates on the secondary hybrid plan will be discussed at the November school board meeting.

Please keep in mind that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents through the ACPS website and Blackboard notification system. 

Published 10/28/20

On Monday, October 26, 2020, Allegany County Public Schools will begin the implementation of the hybrid learning model for third and fourth grade students.  Third and fourth graders will report to their bus stop for their normal pick-up time.  Schools will be dismissed daily at 1:30 p.m.

Students in Grades 3 and 4 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A-B-A-B schedule. A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day, and the current virtual day schedule will be followed. If a parent has elementary children with two different last names that would cause them to attend on different days, the parent should call the principal to arrange whether the siblings will attend on an A Day or B Day.

Parents will be provided with their child’s in-person learning schedule for his or her grade level and will also be provided with a parent letter, COVID symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines.  Parents have been informed that they had the right to “opt out “of the in-person/hybrid learning model and have their child remain in a virtual learning environment. The deadline for completing the opt-out form was September 28, 2020.  

As Grades 3 and 4 enter school for in-person learning next week, these children will participate in a “Virtual School” facilitated by a certified teacher.  A parent who has opted out of in-person/hybrid learning can select to “opt-in” at the end of the nine-week marking period, with a start date activation for the next marking period.  

Central office staff are currently working on logistical details for phasing in Grade 5 students in the near future.  Additional information will be forthcoming once staffing and schedules have been finalized.

Please keep in mind that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents through the ACPS website and messaging system. 

Published 10/21/20

On Monday, October 19, 2020, Allegany County Public Schools will begin the implementation of the hybrid learning model for second grade students.  Second graders will report to their bus stop for their normal pick-up time, and schools will be dismissed daily at 1:30 p.m.

Students in grade 2 will report to school Monday through Thursday on an A B A B schedule. A student’s last name will determine which days he/she will attend. Students with last names that begin A-L will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and students with last names that begin M-Z will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday will be a virtual day, and the current virtual day schedule will be followed. If a parent has elementary children with two different last names that would cause them to attend on different days, they should call the principal to arrange whether the siblings will attend on an A or B day.

Parents of second graders will be provided with their child’s in-person learning schedule for their grade level as well as with a parent letter, COVID-19 symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines.  Parents have also been informed that they had the right to “opt-out" of the in-person/hybrid learning model and have their child remain in a virtual learning environment. The deadline for completing the opt-out form was September 28, 2020.  

As second grade students enter schools for in-person learning next week, these children will participate in a “Virtual School” facilitated by a certified teacher.  A parent who has opted out of in-person/hybrid learning can select to “opt-in” at the end of nine-week marking period, with a start date activation for the next marking period.  

Central office staff are currently working on logistical details for phasing in grades 3 and 4 students in the near future.  Additional information will be forthcoming once staffing and schedules have been finalized.

Please keep in mind that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents through the ACPS website and Blackboard notification system. 

Published 10/14/20

On Monday, October 12, 2020, Allegany County Public Schools will begin the implementation of the in-person/hybrid learning model for Grade 1 students. First grade students will report to their bus stop for their normal pick-up time. First grade students will report to school Monday-Thursday, and Friday will be a virtual learning day. 

Parents will be provided with their child’s in-person learning schedule, including start and finish times for their grade leve, and will also be provided with a parent letter, a COVID symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines.  Parents have also been informed that they had the right to “opt-out “of the in-person/hybrid learning model and have their child remain in a virtual learning environment. The deadline for completing the opt-out form was September 28th.  

As the first grade enters school for in-person learning next week, these children will participate in a “Virtual School” facilitated by a certified teacher.  A parent who has opted out of in-person/hybrid learning can select to “opt-in” at the end of nine-week marking period, with a start date activation for the next marking period.  

Central office staff are currently working on logistical details for phasing in Grade 2 students in the near future.  Additional information will be forthcoming once staffing and schedules have been finalized.

Please keep in mind that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents on the ACPS website and Blackboard notification system. 

Published 10/7/20

Pre-K, Kindergarten Students Return with Implementation of In-Person/Hybrid Model

On Monday, October 5, 2020, Allegany County Public Schools will begin the implementation of the in-person/hybrid learning model for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students. Students will attend school in-person Monday through Thursday, with Friday being a virtual day.

Elementary School principals are coordinating orientation meetings for parents on October 1^st and 2^nd. At that time, parents will be provided with transportation information since specific start and end times vary for students due to the transportation schedules. Parents will also be provided with their child’s in-person learning schedule for their specific grade level as well as with a parent letter, a COVID-19 symptom checklist, and mask requirements and guidelines.

Parents have been informed that they have the right to “opt out “of the in-person/hybrid learning model and have their child remain in a virtual learning environment. As Pre-K and kindergarten students enter school for in-person learning next week, these children who opt out will participate in a “Virtual School” facilitated by a certified teacher. Any parent who has opted out of in-person/hybrid learning can select to “opt-in” at the end of the nine-week marking period, with start date activation for the next marking period.

Central office staff is currently working on logistical details for phasing in Grade 1 students in the near future. Additional information will be forthcoming once staffing and schedules have been finalized.

On September 28, 2020, students without Internet connectivity began reporting to schools where they are engaging in synchronous learning via the Schoology Learning Management System. Juniors from the Career Center (CCTE) also returned to in-person learning in their respective skill areas.

Please note that hybrid learning structures are subject to change based on health metrics and guidance provided by the Allegany County Health Department. Any changes will be communicated to parents through the ACPS website and Blackboard Notification System.

Published 9/30/20

PHASE 2 OF THE LEARN IN SCHOOL PHASED-IN PLAN (Further information and clarification will be forthcoming)

On Monday, September 21, 2020, ACPS will begin Phase 2 of the Learn in School Phased-In Plan. The senior students at the Career Center will report to their skill areas. The transportation department is finalizing bus routes. The CCTE students will attend their skill areas five half-days per week, every other week. On the week of September 28th, the junior students will report to their skill areas. Students at the Career Center will still continue to take their academic week classes virtually through Schoology. Students will eat breakfast and lunch at the school, and dismissal time will be close to noon. CCTE students will be required to wear masks and socially distance appropriately. The skill area class sizes at the Career Center are small enough, and the class spaces have been determined large enough to accommodate appropriate social distancing.

Students with special needs who have been identified for an early return to school will report to their classrooms on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. At the elementary level, in order to maintain the social distancing requirements, classes will be split in half, with one group attending on Monday and Wednesday and the other group attending school on Tuesday and Thursday. The in-person portion of the elementary day will end at 1:30 p.m. ACPS would like to clarify that the special education students who will begin school on September 23rd are ONLY those students who attend specialized programs at Cash Valley, Washington, Fort Hill, Mountain Ridge, and Allegany College of Maryland. Families of those students have been contacted.

Middle school students and students at Allegany College of Maryland with special needs who have been identified for an early return to school will attend school in two groups for the purposes of social distancing on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday.  They will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. High school students with special needs who have been identified for an early return to school will attend school in two groups for the purposes of social distancing on either Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday, and will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. The transportation department is finalizing bus routes for all of these students, and parents will be contacted within the next few days with this information.  

Part of the decision making process for the phased-in plan involves the Maryland Department of Health and Allegany County Health Department criteria that must be met by public schools. Students need to wear masks and maintain six feet distance in classrooms and on the school bus.

If the health metrics remain stable, then ACPS will begin to bring in students in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. The anticipated target date for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten to begin in-school learning is the week of October 5th.

A COVID-19 symptom checklist will be provided to every parent. It will be the responsibility of parents and guardians to review this checklist daily to determine if their child has any of the symptoms listed. Parents and guardians should also take their child’s temperature each morning. Under no circumstances should a child who is exhibiting any of the symptoms as outlined on the checklist attend school on that day. Click HERE to view a Parent Letter. 

If a student becomes ill while at school, the student must be picked up from school within 30 minutes unless there are extenuating circumstances. Parents and guardians should proactively develop a plan for pick-up in the event their child is symptomatic for the COVID-19 virus while at school.

In the event that there is a potential exposure to COVID-19 at school, the health nurse and school administrators will determine who has been in close contact with the individual following state guidelines. Parents and guardians will be notified in writing if their child is a close contact of someone either positive for COVID-19 or symptomatic of COVID-19. The Allegany County Health Department will determine the quarantine length and return date for each person with COVID-19, symptomatic of COVID-19, or exposed to someone who is positive or symptomatic. The quarantine length will be adhered to without exception. Students who are quarantined will participate in remote learning for the length of their quarantine period.

Our main concern, in addition to providing appropriate services for students, is the health and safety of our students and staff.   Thank you for your continued optimism, patience, and support. Please be assured and confident that we are working diligently to ensure that your child will have a robust education as well as the social and emotional support needed to help them thrive. During this unprecedented time, we hope that our ACPS parents and guardians know that our students are our top priority. 

If you have a particular question or concern, please email it to comments@acpsmd.org and it will be addressed as soon as possible.

Published 9/17/20