While the Perry Local School District has reopened its schools to students, the global COVID- 19 pandemic continues. Schools are places where diseases like COVID-19 can quickly spread given the number of students, teachers, and others who often come into close contact with one another. For the safety of our student body and community, all Perry Local School District staff and students in grades Pre-K-12 are required to wear multi-layered cloth face coverings at all times while at school or on school buses, subject to the exceptions at the end of this policy. Face coverings must comply with our Dress Code, and must not contain profanity or other prohibited images or material. Failure by students to comply with this policy may result in discipline under the Student Code of Conduct. Furthermore, outright refusal by
a student to wear a face covering will result in the student being enrolled in the Perry Virtual Learning Academy. COVID-19 is highly contagious, and not everyone infected with the disease shows symptoms. When a student wears a face covering, though, it is more difficult for the student to spread COVID-19 to friends and classmates. And because we don’t always know who has COVID- 19, it is safest for all of us if everyone wears a cloth face covering. We wear face coverings to help protect our friends and classmates in case we are infected but don’t know it. Face coverings are effective only if worn properly.
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The Perry Local School will be delaying the start of school for students. Students grades 1-5 & 7-9 will start on Thursday, August 20th. All Grades 1-12 will be in session on Friday, August 21st.  Your child’s buildings will be communicating out specifics as it relates to these opening dates. These additional days will allow the Perry staff to be trained on the health department guidance as it relates to district and building opening plans.  This will allow for sufficient time to train on the various aspects of opening and operating a safer school.  These additional days will also allow for added preparation in the event the District would be required to shift to all remote learning.  Our desire was to start the school year as scheduled but it became clear that additional time was needed to best prepare our staff and address the many changes implemented. Kindergarten screening and start dates will not be affected by these date changes.  The Perry Virtual Academy is still scheduled to begin on August 24th, 2020. Once all intent forms are returned, the District will be pushing out relevant dates to those families indicating when their child(ren) will begin the year in the Virtual Academy. As always, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we prepare for the 2020/2021 school year.  Everyday we get closer to getting back to education and bringing some normalcy to our children’s lives.

Dear Perry Families and Guardians, (click here for Spanish version)
As we approach the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, I know many of our students and their families/ guardians have a number of concerns. The administration team and Board of Education understands that; we have concerns as well. As such, the health, well-being and safety of all of our Perry students, staff members and their families has been the top priority when developing our Perry Local School District Fall 2020 Reopening Plan.  (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE REOPENING PLAN, CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE REOPENING PLAN IN SPANISH).

We considered many factors in the development of our plan, including the guidelines set forth by Governor DeWine, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) as well as local health officials. Our plan is based on our goal to provide a high-quality, standards-based curriculum that helps students achieve academic progress, focus on social-emotional learning and meet all of their other needs, whether in-person or online. Therefore, as we reopen, families will have the option to send their children to school or utilize the Virtual Learning Academy.

For families who choose the traditional, in-person educational model, there will also be a number of additional safety practices and procedures that must be adhered to. We are asking our parents/ guardians to assess their children for symptoms or a fever prior to sending them to school; if any symptoms are present, children must stay home. Students and staff members will be required to wear face coverings at all times while in school buildings and on school buses. Additionally, social distancing rules will also be implemented in all classrooms, buses, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, gyms, libraries and any other common areas when possible. Intensified cleaning/sanitizing procedures will be implemented in addition to a number of other protocols. (more…)

Perry Local Schools will continue to provide Grab & Go meals throughout the month of July (excluding July 3) at three locations:  Perry High School, Watson Elementary, Whipple Elementary.  Breakfast & Lunch Meal bags may be picked up: Monday thru Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. All children 18 and under are eligible to receive these free meals.