Officials release updated safety, health information ahead of the school year
LUMBERTON – As more than 20,000 Public Schools of Robeson County students are expected to return to classrooms Monday, PSRC leadership and staff members are reminding parents of important information related to student health, bus routes and school safety.
“We want parents and students to start the year off with confidence knowing that district leaders, educators and staff members are all working together to prepare for a successful year ahead,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson.
Teachers returned to the classrooms on Aug. 22. Many educators participated in professional development sessions this summer to prepare for the year.
Additionally, students at PSRC Early College High School at Robeson Community College returned to the classroom on Aug. 8 to start the school year. Students could be seen smiling and catching up with friends as they entered the classrooms on campus.
“This year, as we navigate new challenges and implement new curricula in the areas of K-8 English Language Arts and K-7 Math, we ask that parents partner with us to ensure the best learning outcomes for our students,” said Dr. Robert Locklear, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability at PSRC.
“The district also will continue working with community partners, law enforcement agencies and the Robeson County Health Department to ensure that the health and safety needs of our students and staff members are met across school campuses this school year,” said Jennifer Freeman, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Intervention and Support at PSRC.
School safety
This year, the school district is working to put extra security measures in place such as funding eight additional School Resource Officer positions.
All schools will have an SRO assigned to them, but some officers will cover multiple schools.
“We are committed to ensuring that our students feel safe as they enter our classrooms. The additional security measures are in place to reinforce the critical need for safety in school learning environments,” said Bobby Locklear, Assistant Superintendent of Auxilary Services at PSRC.
Bus routes, information
The 2022-2023 school bus routes have been created with the student information available from the PowerSchool software.
Bus routes and stop locations may change throughout the school year or from year to year as student populations change.
All times are estimated and will be adjusted as necessary throughout the school year, according to Dr. Robert Guzman, director of PSRC Transportation.
Students should be at their stops at least 10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
Students must be at the stop when the bus arrives.
Buses may be a little late during the beginning of the school year, as new students are incorporated into routes and new routes are being navigated, Guzman said.
“We appreciate your patience and cooperation,” Guzman said.
“We also ask the public to be aware of their speed around school zones. Please also look out for students in school drop off/pick up areas and at bus stops,” he added.
COVID-19 guidelines
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will remain out for 5 days and return on day 6 with a mask through day 10. The day of symptom onset or positive test (if no symptoms) is day 0.
Parents or guardians should notify the school/school nurse right away if their child has a positive COVID-19 test for proper guidance.
Students who are exposed to the virus should wear a mask for 10 days. They should be tested on day 5 after the last contact with a positive case. The date of the last contact or if symptoms develop is day 0.
Asymptomatic students do not need to quarantine after exposure and should attend school.
Schools are recommended to keep an “isolation area/room” for symptomatic students or staff.
The Robeson County Health Department retains authority to make measures for policies and practices. Schools should work with their local health department to appropriately manage school-associated clusters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends testing for non-symptomatic individuals.
The district is monitoring health concerns related to COVID-19 and other illnesses.
The district will continue to work closely with the Robeson County Health Department to ensure that proper protocol conducive to the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty, staff and stakeholders is followed at the school level.
Immunization requirements and health assessments
All kindergarten students are required to have a completed immunization record and a health assessment.
All seventh-grade students are required to have the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
All 12th-grade students are required to have a second dose of the Meningococcal vaccine. This will also apply to students who transition to senior status after the first semester i.e. January 2023.
Any new student to North Carolina Public Schools for the first time is required to have an NC Health Assessment completed within the first 30 calendar days from enrollment.
By law, students are given 30 days after the start of school to complete the NC State Immunization and Health Assessment Requirements. The deadline is Sept. 27, 2022. Students will not be allowed to attend school after this date until the immunizations and/or health assessment requirements have been met.
These absences will be coded as "unexcused.”
Medication policy
Medication administration at school at any grade level; requires a medication form to be completed by the parent/guardian and physician.
All medications must first be checked into the office by the parent or guardian.
Consultation with the school nurse may be needed. The school nurse will contact you with any concerns. Self-administration for emergency medications still requires a completed medication form and possible consultation with the school nurse.
Medication forms must be renewed each school year.
For more information, visit the "Departments" and "Health" tabs on PSRC’s website at https://www.robeson.k12.nc.us/ or reach out to your student’s school directly.