Much cheaper Florida virtual program passes Board-Ed; student mask violators to pay
KNOXVILLE — With an 8-1 vote, Knox County Board of Education approved a contract with Florida Virtual School in a program about five times cheaper than presented just a week earlier. The program is meant to supplement the school district’s own Virtual Learning Program beginning in fall semester.
The contract was approved during the board’s regular session Wednesday, Aug. 12, in the Andrew Johnson Building. Jennifer Owen, District 2, was the lone dissenter.
Originally slated to cost the school district about $1.5 million for the fall semester, Florida Virtual School would cost only about $300,000 for fall according to superintendent Robert Thomas.
As Knox County Schools begins its 2020-21 year Monday, Aug. 24, 18,500 students have opted (or their parents/guardians) to use the remote learning option for fall semester.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 5, KCS had 160 teaching vacancies — but nearly half of those had been filled by the middle of last week. There were 90 vacancies posted Aug. 12, including 49 for in-person teaching positions.
The new hires by the district now means KCS would only rely on Florida Virtual School to teach 311 classes district-wide.
“I want to compliment the staff and the hard work they’ve done over a short period of time. They’ve had four business days to fill those vacancies,” said Thomas, who has made no secret of the fact he opposed outsourcing the county’s teaching jobs unless absolutely necessary. “Preferably, we want to use our own folks.
“With Florida Virtual, we’d be using them a lot less by the time school starts,” he added. “We’ve filled these vacancies and we still have some time to fill more by the time school starts.”
Assistant superintendent Jon Rysewyk noted all Florida-based program teachers would have to be certified to teach in Tennessee and Knox County.
No mask discipline
Also during last week’s meeting, the Board outlined disciplinary actions taken against students who refuse to wear masks inside campus buildings.
Administrators, faculty and staff — in addition to all visitors — also would be required to wear face coverings.
On the first and second offenses, students would be given a verbal warning but could face quarantine and a parental pick-up if violations continue.
The mask policy would be enforced except when eating, drinking or when social distancing protocol is possible.
Thomas noted those infractions would be documented as all other disciplinary issues.
That also passed by an 8-1 vote, with Patti Lou Bounds (District 7) dissenting.
No standardized tests?
The board also approved a resolution to be sent to Tennessee Board of Education to eliminate standardized tests and teacher evaluations for the upcoming academic year.
The measure passed unanimously with no discussion.
