START UP FOR FULTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS DELAYED

August 06, 2020

(EDITOR'S NOTE: THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS RECEIVED ON WEDNESDAY FROM DR. DEANNA MILLER, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, FULTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, FOR PUBLICATION)

Dear Parents and Caregivers:

I write this letter to address the continued concern of the Corona Virus (COVID-19). This is a concern across the state and our nation. Without medications or a vaccine, there are limited ways to treat the virus once it becomes serious. In the past we believed that young children do not seem to be experiencing serious complications from COVID-19, but now this week new positive test results in Kentucky include 2 teenagers and one young child.

The rise in numbers of positive cases in Fulton County presents a great concern for me. My # 1 priority is the safety of our students at Fulton Independent.
This leads me to share the news with you that our start date for the 2020-2021 school year will be September 8, 2020. Hopefully by that time the number of positive cases in our county and area will have decreased and we can begin the school year. This will also be the start date for students participating in the Bulldog Virtual Academy. Our custodians and administrators have worked tirelessly to clean the school buildings and install protective measures and guidelines. Please expect a call from your students’ teachers to set up a time for one-on-one benchmark testing during the last couple of weeks of August and the first week of September. By testing students one at a time, we are lessening the chance of spreading germs and also finding out what your individual student’s needs are for the school year. We are working with the Fulton Health Department, the Kentucky Department of Education, the Purchase Health Department and Fulton County Emergency Management to try to prevent any exposure for students when they return. Our goal for children is to keep things calm, not stress about the virus, but to ensure that we are taking all precautions.
I know that this is a tremendous inconvenience for working parents and I wish this didn’t have to occur but I must put the concern for student health and safety before inconvenience. Please call the Fulton Board of Education at 270-472-1553 or my personal cell phone at 270-627-2264 with any questions that you have. Thank you for your support and understanding.