By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Millington Central High School administrative assistant Toni Doyle gives a wipe down of the front office counter after a visitor made contact with the area. Doyle and the rest of the staff at MCHS and the other Millington Municipal Schools are working under new conditions and rules to help combat the coronavirus and keep students safe. The Millington School Board unanimously approved a plan to reopen the system’s four schools on Aug. 10 offering a “hybrid” or an “all-virtual” option. MMSD Superintendent James “Bo” Griffin noted that nearly 40 percent of the students will be going “all-virtual.” Griffin initially presented the 2020 Vision plan online during a July 7 “virtual” Town Hall meeting that was live-streamed on the school system’s Facebook page. He has said the plan’s “guiding principle” is the students’ physical, academic, social-emotional and mental health, as well as the health and well-being of the staff. The plan is designed to promote behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining a healthy environment and operations, while preparing the district to make any necessary academic or social adjustments. It will adhere to the current approved 2020-21 academic calendar, while using all available health care precautions. The plan consists of “operating scenarios” guided by the Centers for Disease Control, the state and local health departments and recommendations by the Tennessee Department of Education. Griffin has said the “hybrid” system will limit the potential exposure time of students and staff, while allowing for increased sanitizing and cleaning.
