Hello, this is Dr. Bruce Borchers, Superintendent of the Oak Ridge Schools.
As you most likely know, yesterday, Governor Lee announced that he is recommending all Tennessee K-12 schools remain closed through the remainder of the school year in order to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and ensure the health and safety of all Tennesseans. The Oak Ridge Schools will obviously comply with his recommendation and will be closed for the remainder of this academic school year. The Oak Ridge Schools will be closed through May 29th, the last day of this school year.
We would like to remind families that typically, at this time of year in Oak Ridge Schools, teachers and students would be in the classrooms preparing for TCAP and Advanced Placement exams. The testing period for these exams occurs in the second part of April, and after that, students would normally be participating in continued learning experiences that reinforce the yearlong learning.
While our buildings are closed as a result of COVID-19, we want to continue to support quality learning opportunities for student success. Oak Ridge Schools will begin this next phase of learning online on April 27. Final grades will be calculated from terms 1-3 and students will have opportunities to improve final grades with required assignments. School administrators will be sharing more information about student requirements for the next phase of online learning on April 20.
Recently, the State Board of Education voted on various items like how to determine grades for the school year, credits at the high school level, testing, and online learning. A full description of these items, as well as updated aligned policies approved by the Oak Ridge Schools Board of Education can be found on our website. See the section titled “Emergency Suspension of Board Policies” on our coronavirus update page.
I encourage everyone to go to our webpage for coronavirus updates and follow our district on social media: Twitter/Instagram: @ORSchools and Facebook: @OakRIdgeSchoolsTN. The TN Department of Education has a helpful web page with coronavirus updates as well.
To the class of 2020, I want to offer a personal note of congratulations for your many successes in your time with us in Oak Ridge Schools. We are keeping you especially in mind, and looking for ways to ensure you are celebrated in unique and special ways under our current circumstances.
Dr. Bruce Borchers
Superintendent
Oak Ridge Schools
865-425-9011
