VALDOSTA – Valdosta City Schools will meet in person at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

School Superintendent Dr. Todd Cason proposed a plan for Valdosta City Schools to reopen face to face for fall 2021.

The plan presented tenets including the continuation of disinfecting all schools and school buses on a regular basis, reopening the cafeteria for grab and go breakfast and allowing all students, staff and visitors in with optional masks. 

“We cannot mandate vaccinations; however, we are strongly recommending those that are eligible to be vaccinated get their vaccinations as soon as possible,” Cason said.

Valdosta City Schools will offer support to parents who are hesitant about sending their children back to school face to face. 

“Our summer is 100% face to face and we’re having some success with that,” Cason said. “We feel as the numbers improve, and more people become vaccinated, it will be safe for us to return next year 100% face to face.”

The Valdosta Board of Education approved the 2022 Fiscal Year salary schedule during its regular session Tuesday, June 22.

The board was asked to vote on the new state statute and board rules to be included to the Valdosta City Schools strategic waiver.

The strategic waiver amendment was a recommendation from the federal monitors, which refers to the waiving of specific qualifications to give the school district flexibility in hiring certain positions.

The waiver raised questions from board member Warren Lee.

“We continue to go back and forth with things that are supposed to be helping our children,” Lee said. “First, you had to be morally certified; now, you don’t have to be certified.”

Cason responded, saying “The state is giving schools the flexibility to establish your own qualifications for employment.

“Because of the flexibility we received about six years ago, that was one of those rules that could be waived about certification; however, federal programs are saying you still need to have minimum qualifications to put the best and brightest in front of the students.”

Board members approved the strategic waiver amendment as presented.

The board voted to accept the JC student rights and responsibility policy which will allow students free speech options at school events.

The board also voted on the IHE promotion and retention policy as presented in the previous meeting with a change to the promotion requirements for kindergarten students.

The policy amendment will focus on Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills, which tests students’ performance levels across all progressions by the end of kindergarten.

The school system approved 11 new hires including four teachers at Valdosta High School, three teachers at Newbern Middle School, two teachers at W.G. Nunn Elementary, one custodian and one paraprofessional at S.L. Mason Elementary.

One rehire of a teacher at VHS and reassignment of one pre-K director was approved.

Eight resignations were approved including one teacher at NMS, one teacher at WGN, one teacher at Sallas Mahone, one teacher at Valdosta Middle School, one custodian at NMS, one custodian at Sallas-Mahone, one paraprofessional at SM and one paraprofessional at SLM.

Five promotions were approved: one intervention specialist at WGN, one media specialist at WGN, one intervention specialist at SM, one counselor at Valdosta Early College Academy and one secretary at WGN.

The Valdosta City Schools board office and school offices will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.