03/15/2020
The Van Buren School District will not be in session beginning Monday, March 16 and will remain closed through the end of the week. This order comes following a directive from Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. VBSD will observe Spring Break as scheduled next week, March 23-27, 2020. At this time, the plan is to reopen Monday, March 30. In the event of an extended closure, VBSD will announce further instructions.
***Although schools will NOT be in session tomorrow, in an effort to help accommodate families and allow them additional time to secure childcare, VBSD will have staff available at its elementary and middle school campuses to provide childcare for elementary and middle school level students on Monday ONLY. This will be during regular school hours ONLY. (8 a.m. – 3 p.m.) Breakfast and lunch will be provided on-site. Bus routes for elementary and middle school students will run as usual on Monday ONLY. Elementary and middle school students are NOT required to attend on Monday – the childcare option is simply a courtesy the District is extending to help families.***
AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) packets containing the first five (5) days of classwork, labeled Day 2 – Day 6, were sent home with students on Friday. These are also available on the District website, www.VBSD.us. In the event the District closes for more than five days, additional days of classwork will be available on the District website. If students are unable to access or print classwork, copies of additional days of classwork will be available when students return to school. Students will be given an appropriate amount of time to complete the additional days of classwork. The District was scheduled to be in session four days this week, therefore classwork for days 2-5 should be completed before returning to school Monday, March 30.
Essential personnel (limited to those who attend monthly administrative staff meetings) and select support personnel (who will be contacted individually by their principal or director) will report to work this week. VBSD Parent-Teacher Conferences, scheduled for this Tuesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 19, will be handled remotely. Teachers will contact parents via phone or email to discuss student performance.
The school closure extends to all school activities. All sporting events, meetings, performances, and practices are cancelled.
VBSD will serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday of this week. The District will provide a “grab-and-go” option for all students. Breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. at three designated sites.
These include:
Central Elementary School, 913 North 24th Street
Northridge Middle School, 120 Northridge Drive
Tate Elementary School, 406 Catcher Road
Updates regarding COVID-19 will continue to be posted on this page and on the District’s social media, .
For more information about COVID-19, please refer to the Center for Disease Control’s website. Information is also available on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website.
