Nassau schools to stay closed through May 1

Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran announced during a conference call with school districts around the state Monday that classrooms will remain empty through Friday, May 1, according to a post on the Nassau County School District’s website.

The state had previously closed schools through April 15.

Nassau County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathy Burns provided an update Monday on measures the district is taking during the closures to meet student needs.

The statement from Burns says the district has so far provided 14,000 meals as of Friday to students who have been able to pick them up at Southside Elementary, Yulee Middle, Callahan Elementary and Hilliard Middle-Senior High schools. Both breakfasts and lunches were provided at those schools from Monday through Friday. The district also provided additional breakfasts and lunches Friday for students to have over the weekend.

Beginning today, though, the district plans to begin delivering meals as well as other supplies directly to students, according to the release. Starting Wednesday, lunches will be distributed at school bus stops. “Free meals for ANY child 18 and under will be delivered – (enough) for two days, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, at a stop right outside your door. Go to our website link below to find routes and download the ‘Hear comes the bus app’to track your meals to your stop!”a posting on the district’s website says. “We will still have our four drive-thru sites open Monday thru Friday ... please continue to visit us there if you have transportation.”

The hours to pick up school lunches at the four school sites are going to be changed to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accommodate the delivery plan.

Go to https://www.nassau.k12.fl.us/Page/3217, call (904) 491-9924, or go to Facebook @NassauNutrition for more information and updates.

Burns says more than 3,000 computers have been distributed to Nassau County students, and more than 6,000 learning packets were mailed Friday to elementary students. Information will be sent to students about their learning packets this week. If a student still needs a computer or does not receive a learning packet, parents should contact their child’s school.

Teachers and other personnel have been working on lesson plans to create instructional videos, Burns said, and will be in touch with students this week.

“We had to completely redesign what school would look like for our students,” the statement says. “In true educator fashion, local administrators, teachers, volunteers, and our communities, came together to figure it out. I could not be prouder of our School District team and our County as a whole. Our theme in the school district is ‘We Are Nassau!’ This is a time when it must ring true for all of us. We are all in this together. We must continue to move forward with a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork. We are in a challenging time and we are going to strive to do our very best work during this time.”