On Monday, March 23, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam announced that all PK-12 schools in the Commonwealth will remain closed for the rest of the school year that ends in June. As the Lee County School Board and Lee County Public Schools, we understand that families are affected by this decision and we appreciate your patience and flexibility as we navigate this closure and explore new, different, and oftentimes exciting ways to serve our students, their families, and our community. As always, we will continue to communicate any change in status through all-calls, the LCPS website and official LCPS social media accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a type of virus that were first identified in the 1960s. The most recently discovered coronavirus that we are hearing so much about is a new or novel coronavirus, officially called COVID-19. While its origins have been traced to a live animal market in China, the virus is now spreading from human to human globally.

For more details on COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What can I do to help prevent the spread of illness?

We encourage you and your family to follow the CDC guidelines for keeping safe and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. “Social distancing” means staying out of crowded places, avoiding group gatherings, and maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others whenever possible. Medical questions may be directed to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Hotline: 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3).

As a best practice for overall health in cold and influenza season, the VDH recommends that individuals get the influenza vaccination. Lee County Public Schools (LCPS) and the VDH also offer the following reminders to stay healthy:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Take flu antivirals if prescribed by your health care provider if you have the flu.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Here is a short segment about the impact of this virus and how you can help.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/how-americans-can-come-together-to-fight-coronavirus-by-staying-apart-80642629788

How long will LCPS be closed?

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam announced all K-12 schools in the Commonwealth will remain closed for the rest of the school year year. The end of the LCPS school year was scheduled for May 22, 2020.

Will LCPS still serve food to students?

LCPS will continue to provide meals to all individuals who are 18 years of age and under and any LCPS student under the age of 21 at Rose Hill Elementary, Jonesville Middle, and Pennington Middle. Meals will be available for drive-thru pickup from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for the days that LCPS was already scheduled to be closed. Please check the LCPS website for the Division calendar for the 2019-2020 school year.

Can I access my child's school building?

At this time, all LCPS sites are closed to the public except for School Board meetings, which are limited to at most 10 people. LCPS has been working to answer questions and conduct business consistent with social distancing and established public assembly limits.

How can my child continue to learn?

If any family is interested in continuing the process of learning, then please contact your school. LCPS staff and teachers will work to provide resources and other information from now through May 22, which was the scheduled end of the school year. LCPS staff is also exploring the possibility of summer instructional opportunities that may be offered. These offerings and activities are voluntary and elective. These offerings are neither required nor expected and are being offered to alleviate any burden or stress that families may be encountering while exploring and engaging differently in their children’s learning and development.

Shortly after the first shutdown, our teachers worked to prepare ten-day instructional and review packets for all students and these are ready now. If you are interested in obtaining these packets for your student, then please contact your school. These packets will not be graded and are only being made available as a resource. As the schools are not open for the public, the pickup process will be developed by each building principal when schools are opened. Please be patient as we work to respond to these requests and adjust to changes related to social distancing and public assembly.

We are also exploring opportunities to provide distance learning on Chromebooks and other digital media. If this is of interest, then please contact your school. More details will be forthcoming to those who are interested in the coming weeks. For families who may not have internet access and are interested in engaging online resources, Comcast is offering reduced cost or free internet service by calling 855-846-8376 or going to their webpage, www.internetessentials.com. If you have another service provider in your area, then please contact them as they may be providing a discounted or free service also.

How will students be graded?

Since the school year has officially closed, LCPS is in the process of finalizing grades. The third quarter ended on March 11 and March 13 was the effective date of the end of grading and reporting student progress. During this extraordinary event, teachers and others are working to determine final grades for students. The results are intended to convey hope and encouragement for students and not be an additional burden or source of stress. No letter grade will be lower than the student’s grade on March 13, 2020.

All teachers are expected to have grades available by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3 on the Parent Portal (https://pschool.leecountyschools.net/public/). On Monday, April 6, a copy of the grades and draft report card will be mailed. All grades will be finalized on Friday, May 1 and a final report card will be mailed.

After reviewing the tentative grade, then the student and parent will have two options.

For elementary and middle school students

Option 1

If the grade is acceptable, then this will serve as the final grade for the 2019-2020 school year and nothing more needs to be done. In general, students will be moving up to the next grade level. If grade-level retention was being considered for an elementary or middle student before March 13 consistent with School Board Policy, then a continuation of that discussion may proceed.

Option 2

If the grade is not acceptable, then the student or parent needs to contact the school. An option of a Pass/Fail grade in lieu of the standard letter grade may be chosen. If the student was failing the class at the time of the closure, then please contact the building principal for additional details about how this may be addressed.

For high school students:

Option 1

If the grade is acceptable, then this will serve as the final grade for the 2019-2020 school year and nothing more needs to be done. In general, students will be moving up to the next grade level or graduating. Students who were enrolled in a high school credit-bearing course with an associated verified credit (e.g., related SOL test) will earn a Locally Awarded Verified Credit (LAVC). School staff will be identifying these students and providing them with next steps.

Students who were enrolled in a Dual Enrollment course will need to continue with the content as defined by Mountain Empire Community College and the LCPS teacher. The high school credit will be awarded based on the grade earned as of March 13. However, in order to earn the college credit, the student will need to complete the related coursework. This is also true of courses with Virtual Virginia and other online resources. Please contact the school or school counselor if you have further questions.

Option 2

If the grade is not acceptable, then the student or parent needs to contact the school. An option of a Pass/Fail grade in lieu of the standard letter grade may be chosen. The course credit earned using Pass/Fail, will be excluded from the student’s GPA calculation and a “P” or “F” will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Promotion or graduation credit will only be earned by a “P”. If the student was failing the class at the time of the closure, then please contact the building principal for additional details about how this may be addressed. If a student is working toward NCAA eligibility and based on current guidance, then the Pass/Fail option may not be recognized by the NCAA.

Will seniors graduate?

LCPS has flexibility to make sure that our current seniors graduate. As long as seniors were in the classes needed to meet standard or advanced diploma requirements and were on track to graduate as of March 13, then they should graduate. If a senior was not on track, then we will do everything possible to get them where they need to be so they can graduate with the Class of 2020.

Seniors who have not met other graduation requirements, such as the financial literacy, CPR, or verified credit requirements, may still be able to graduate. While further guidance from the Virginia Department of Education (DOE) is forthcoming, LCPS has been given latitude by the DOE to waive several requirements. However, there are some requirements that are mandated by state law, the Code of Virginia. We anticipate that these will be addressed at the upcoming General Assembly session on April 22, 2020.

If you have more questions about graduation requirements, please email your school counselor and/or building principal.

Will there be proms or graduation/promotion ceremonies?

We will continue to explore options related to all public assemblies. However, the most recent Executive Order is in effect until June 10, 2020. We had held off on postponing the graduations in hopes that we could still have these ceremonies in mid-May.

We remain fully committed to honoring the hard work of graduating seniors with a ceremony. If we are able to conduct graduation, promotion ceremonies, and other public assemblies this summer, then we will ask seniors, students, and the community for feedback on the options.

My child receives special education, 504, and/or homebound services? What can I do?

LCPS is not providing any direct instruction or instructional supports at this time. However, this may change in the coming weeks. Please check back for updates.

What will happen to Dual Enrollment courses and other online courses?

What do I do if I have technology problems or don't have internet access?

If you are having problems with a broken Chromebook that prohibits you from completing coursework, please call 276-346-2107 and leave your name, chromebook barcode and the issue you are experiencing. Some issues may be fixed remotely and in some situations, an exchange for a loaner may need to occur.

For families who may not have internet access and are interested in engaging online resources, Comcast is offering reduced cost or free internet service by calling 855-846-8376 or going to their webpage, www.internetessentials.com. Additionally, Point Broadband is offering a special promotion during this time as well. Please call 1-844-40-POINT or go to their website, https://point-broadband.com/ to see their current offer.

How can I enroll my child into LCPS?

If you need to enroll your student for the current school year, please call the school at which you intend to enroll your child. If no one answers, then please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. We are minimally staffed at this time and will be until at least June 10, 2020.

If you need to enroll your child for the 2020-21 school year, including a rising kindergarten student, please click on this LINK to begin the registration process online and a member of your child’s zoned school will follow-up with you when our schools reopen.

For elementary school registration, the mandated physical and immunization requirements will be waived through May 22, 2020, which is the remainder of this school year. This will allow a conditional enrollment until your child is physically attending a school. When schools are reopened, the appropriate immunization records must be provided before students enter schools.

Where can I get updates?

Please check back here and monitor official LCPS social media apps for updates.

Has the school calendar for next year changed?

The 2020-2021 school year is still planned to start on Thursday, August 20th, 2020. We look forward to seeing our students again!!!

What if I have additional concerns?

For school-related questions, please call the School Board Office (276-346-2107) or your school. If no one answers, then please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. We are minimally staffed at this time and will be until at least June 10, 2020.

If you have medical questions, then please call the VDH Hotline at 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3).

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