THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville City Schools system is ready for its first day of the 2021-22 school year, new Superintendent Dr. Raymond Bryant Jr. said, and system officials said Friday face coverings for students will be required. 

Open houses at all of the system’s schools were held Thursday and Friday, in advance of Monday’s first day of the school year. 

“We’re looking forward to a great first day of school,” he said. 

It also is providing all of its students the basic school supplies needed for the coming year.

“That has received a great response,” Dr. Bryant said at Tuesday’s board of education meeting, his first as the city schools superintendent. 

Thomasville National Bank and the schools will provide every student with a water bottle. Those should be coming in the first couple of weeks, Bryant said. 

The school system also is watching closely what may happen as COVID-19 cases are rising again. The system has a return to school plan, with students back in class. Masks for students riding buses to school will be mandatory.

Because social distancing is not possible on buses, students will have to wear masks and will have assigned seats. Students from the same family will be allowed to sit together, and personal protective equipment will be provided to each school bus driver.

The nutrition staff at each school will make meals available at points of sale for all students in attendance. Social distancing will be required for students standing in serving lines and each school will have scheduled lunch times.

The sharing of school supplies between children will be discouraged. 

Hand sanitizer will be accessible and intensive cleaning of all restrooms, classrooms and common areas will take place. 

Parents will be asked to check their child’s temperature each morning and to keep a child home if that student has a fever or displays COVID-19 symptoms.

If the state Department of Public Health deems Thomas County to be in a substantial spread of COVID-19 or DPH directs a temporary closure because of a positive case, the system will return to virtual and distance learning.

Bryant said the school system will look at information from the state DPH, the state Department of Education and the American Academy of Pediatrics in its plans to continue lessons for students. 

“We want to be proactive in the way in which we are able to respond,” he said. “We have to, unfortunately, plan for the worst case scenario. In my mind, that is a complete shutdown. What our response will be? How will we continue to make sure our kids are receiving a quality education?”

If schools are forced to go back to a virtual or distance-learning set up, Bryant said he wants to make sure there are more than 300 wifi hotspots set up so students and parents can get a connection. He also urged making sure everyone in the system, from administrators to teachers to staff to students and parents, know what the school district is doing.

“We have to make sure we over-communicate,” he said.

For more on the city schools’ plans, see tcitys.org/return-to-school.

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.