7 U.S. Department of Education and Maryland State Department of Education Requirements for Return Plan (for Updates of February 1, 2022; August 15, 2022; and February 1, 2023) The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) set requirements for reopening schools safely and providing continuity of instruction; these requirements were addressed throughout the return plan for Wicomico County Public Schools as posted in August and September 2021. The listing below from the February 2022 update of the return plan, and for the August 2022 and February 2023 updates, reflects the USDE requirements and additional detail provided by MSDE, which reviews the responses of Maryland school systems to the USDE requirements. Requirement #1: Local school systems must post their reopening plan (return plan) on a public-facing website. The WCPS return plan was originally submitted to MSDE on August 17, 2021. The return plan was posted to www.wcboe.org prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year on Sept. 7, 2021. Following MSDE review and approval, revised return plans were posted on the website around Sept. 17, 2021; in February 2022; and in the fall of 2022. The return plan is posted on the school system’s website in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Any other revisions, including this one for February 1, 2023, will also be posted, in all three languages. Access to the return plan is through a button on the home page of www.wcboe.org; this button reads “Return Plan & ESSER Funding”. Requirement #2: The local school system’s equity plan must be reflected throughout the local reopening plan/return plan. The return plan was developed and will be implemented with the goal of ensuring there are no obstacles to accessing educational opportunities while providing every student equitable access to educational rigor, resources, and support to maximize academic success and social and emotional well-being. Requirement #3: Local school systems must consult with a wide variety of stakeholders in the review of the reopening plan (return plan). The Superintendent and staff frequently communicate with the elected Board of Education, staff members, school families, and state and county leaders, sharing plans and being receptive to feedback and suggestions. The district website, Zoom information sessions, rapid notification system for calls and emails, the school system general emailbox (comments@wcboe.org), the Public Input Line (410-677-5251), and social media platforms, including WCPS Facebook Messenger, are used to share information with the community and the media and to receive input. Opportunities are provided on an ongoing basis for review of the return plan and for questions, comments and other feedback, which are all taken into account during the review process. The return plan is posted on the school system website in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, with an easily accessible link on all school web pages. All stakeholder groups (students, parents and guardians, teachers, administrators, other staff members, and community members) have had the chance to review the return plan and provide feedback through a variety of channels, including but not limited to Public Comments at Board meetings, the Public Input Line, emails to comments@wcboe.org or key staff members, phone calls, communications with school-based staff, Wicomico County Public Schools’ Facebook Messenger, and letters. Despite there being many opportunities over a period of months to provide feedback on the plan, the school system received very little feedback on any aspect of the return plan other than masking. Wicomico Schools will continue to provide opportunities for input in and will strive to encourage greater amounts of feedback as a useful and important element of the return plan. The plan will be made accessible in other ways as needed. Updates to the return plan will be made at least every six months through September 30, 2024, as required, and these updates will also be posted in all three languages and shared with stakeholders through the website.
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