TYLER, Texas — As classes are soon to begin, Cumberland Academy is taking a proactive approach to fight against COVID-19 with updated policies and procedures in accordance with the state of Texas and Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Cumberland has stated that it will continue in-person attendance during the 2020-2021 school year, but with greater safety practices. It will also offer the option for students to stay at home and continue their education using a virtual classroom.
Safety practices in the classroom include:
- Students will be seated to produce optimal social distancing.
- Students will likely eat lunch in their classrooms and masks will likely be required for most students and staff.
- Additional refinements to the classroom picture will continue as the school year gets closer to the opening.
Additionally, Cumberland Academy has implemented the following safety upgrades to protect their students and staff:
- Purchased 5,000 two ply washable cloth masks specially designed for the Cumberland and Leadership campuses.
- Purchased state of the art HEPA room filters designed to remove viral particles for every classroom, nurse clinic, teachers conference room, and reception areas in each campus.
- Purchased hand sanitizer and wipes for every classroom.
- Purchased digital scanner thermometers to be used for infection screening.
- Identified a designated room on every campus to place students if they need to be quarantined for any reason until further assessment has been completed. This will allow asymptomatic students to continue to be on campus until they can return to the classroom. Technology will connect them to their individual classrooms while in that designated room.
According to Cumberland Academy Director, Norma Cotton, many of these safety programs are unique and are not offered at any other school in East Texas. Cumberland Academy’s Board of Directors contains two doctors and a nurse who are advising the school on “best practices” during the pandemic.
As the state and TEA send out continuous updates over the weeks to come, if any changes occur, the school’s safety practices will be amended and updated by the Cumberland Academy Board of Directors.
Cumberland families will be notified about any changes every two weeks by personal email, campus websites, and Cumberland's Facebook page.
