First day of school in Collier delayed one week, student start date now Aug. 19
Brittany Carloni
The Collier school board reached a unanimous consensus at a public work session Tuesday evening to push the start of the school year back one week.
The first day of school for students was scheduled for Aug. 12, but Tuesday's move pushes the start date to Aug. 19, school district spokesman Chad Oliver said in an email.
He said Collier teachers are still scheduled to return to work on Aug. 5. New teachers are scheduled to start work on Aug. 3, according to the district’s 2020-21 calendar.
The last day of the 2020-21 school year for students should not be impacted by the change in the calendar, Oliver said.
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Collier Superintendent Kamela Patton told school board members Tuesday evening that a week delay would provide more time for district staff to safely prepare for the start of the school year.
“Potentially, it would give us more time for PPE orders to come in and be distributed, things from masks to buffs to safety glasses and sanitizer, potentially classroom dividers,” Patton said.
The Collier schools reopening plan is scheduled to be announced Wednesday.
“CCPS Staff will also use the time to distribute laptops prior to the first day, prepare for a modified food distribution, train bus drivers on new safety protocols, train teachers on Social Emotional Learning and trauma-informed care, provide eCollier Academy students and parents with orientation and plan for a possible pivot back to full-time remote learning should it become necessary,” Oliver said.
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The school board’s consensus came after more than an hour of public comments, many of which advocated for delaying the start of the school year and continuing virtual instruction for all students.
Last week, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered all schools to reopen in August will full services for parents that want to send their students to brick-and-mortar schools full time.
“All school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools at least five days per week for all students,” Corcoran’s order states.
Brittany Carloni is the city of Naples reporter at the Naples Daily News. Support her work by subscribing to our local news organization. Find her on Twitter as @CarloniBrittany.
