WALTON COUNTY SCHOOLS UPDATE
Gov. DeSantis announced and the Florida Department of Education sent guidance for the closing of all K-12 public and private schools and career and technical centers in Florida through April 15, 2020. Please visit our website at www.walton.k12.fl.us/ for the latest updates.
Additionally, State testing and school grades are being waived for the 19-20 school year. Graduation, promotion requirements, and final course grades will be evaluated as though state assessments which were canceled did not exist. Eligibility for Florida Bright Futures scholarships shall be based on available data.
Food Service
As of March 23, five school sites began to provide food for children ages 1 to 18: Paxton, Mossy Head School, Maude Saunders Elementary, Walton Middle School, Freeport High School.
These five sites provide a grab and go meal in the school’s car rider line. You do not have to live in the school zone to receive food at the above sites. If your school is not a site, please visit the site nearest to you. Children must be present in the car to receive a free meal.
School sites haven been chosen based on specific criteria as put forth by the Florida Department of Agriculture. We may open additional sites as we can.
The schedule for food pick up at the five sites above are as follows: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch will be provided and next day’s breakfast.
As of March 25th, food distribution began via bus transportation from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and look similar to our summer routes. Buses will spend 10 minutes at each stop for parents to receive breakfast and lunch instead of visiting school sites. School sites will also remain open as well. More information about your area’s routes available at www.walton.k12.fl.us/covid-19.
Medication
If your child has medication at school that you need at home, you can pick up medication from the school’s nurse starting Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 27 from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. Medication will only be released to a student’s parent.
Learning Continuity
At-home learning began March 23. Find more info here: https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/at-home-learning-support-covid-19. Students login here: https://launchpad.classlink.com/walton.
Each individual campus will post their own At-Home Learning Calendar online for the week of March 30. Many of the schools’ plans may mirror our initial At-Home Learning Calendar as we are using parents’ feedback from this week. Many of you have said you appreciate straight forward and clear directions as you embark on this new journey.
Parents, we have mailed report cards home, so you can view your child’s grades for the third nine weeks, which reflects work prior to Spring Break. Please expect report cards on Monday. Teachers will also begin to reach out to you regarding how we will capture your child’s work during our At Home Learning model.
All school campuses will be staffed with a small team as of March 23. Parents may enter the school office based on CDC guidelines regarding gatherings of 10 people or less. If you are sick, please call instead of visiting.
The Walton County School District has an online system to answer any of your COVID-19/School Closure related questions. Please click on the “Contact Us” tab on the right side of our website to submit a question or concern.
Please access the most current updates at https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/covid-19.
OKALOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS UPDATE
Okaloosa County Schools will remain closed through April 15.
• All school activities and events are cancelled until further notice.
• All statewide testing for the school year has been cancelled.
• We have not received final guidance on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or AICE testing at this time.
Education for students will resume from home March 30. It will consist of age-appropriate online curriculum and will have dedicated pathways for teachers and students to communicate. Students will remain connected to the teachers they’ve had all year.
Grab and Go lunches are available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. for students under 18: BAKER – Baker School; LAUREL HILL – Laurel Hill School; CRESTVIEW – Northwood Elementary, Riverside Elementary; NICEVILLE/VALP – Lewis School, Plew Elementary; DESTIN – Destin Elementary; FORT WALTON BEACH – Wright Elementary, Mary Esther Elementary, Edwins Elementary.
State food service guidelines require the student to be present in order for meals to be distributed. They will be able to receive up to two meals for the day (breakfast and lunch).
The District will notify parents if meal sites are added the week of March 23rd.
Visit www.okaloosaschools.com/district/coronavirus for the latest updates and information.
