UPDATE - July 14, 2020

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina schools will open for both in-person and remote learning with key safety precautions to protect the health of our students, teachers, staff and families. This is the Plan B schools were asked to prepare. Richmond County Schools' Plan B will be presented to the Board of Education on Thursday, July 16 for approval. We will keep you updated.

UPDATE - July 1, 2020

Based on guidance and requirements issued by Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Richmond County Schools is currently creating reopening plans for the 2020 – 2021 school year. Each school district in the state is required to create three different options for reopening.

• Plan A allows school facilities to reopen at full capacity with all students present at the same time with enhanced sanitation measures required.
• Plan B limits school facilities to reopen at a maximum 50 percent capacity with enhanced sanitation and safety measures, increased social distancing, and only one student per seat on buses.
• Plan C keeps school facilities closed for in-person instruction with remote learning structures and accountability in place.

We understand that some families may not feel comfortable in returning to school in Plan A or B; therefore, we will also provide a virtual option for students and parents.

Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will ultimately determine how our schools can safely reopen in the fall. The opening of our schools will be a community-wide effort to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff while providing educational opportunities for all our students.

We ask that all parents complete the survey on the RCS website and staff members complete the survey that was sent via school email. This stakeholder input is essential as RCS formulates the plans for re-entry.

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Basados en la guía y los requisitos emitidos por el gobernador Cooper y el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, las Escuelas del Condado de Richmond está creando diferentes planes de reapertura para el año escolar 2020-2021. El Gobernador requiere que cada distrito escolar del estado cree tres opciones para la reapertura de las escuelas. 

El Plan A permite que las instalaciones escolares se vuelvan a abrir a plena capacidad con todos los estudiantes presentes al mismo tiempo, pero con mejor medidas de saneamiento. 

El Plan B limita la reapertura de las instalaciones escolares a una capacidad máxima del 50 por ciento con mejor medidas de saneamiento y seguridad, mayor distanciamiento social y solo un estudiante por asiento en los autobuses. 

El Plan C mantiene las instalaciones escolares cerradas para la instrucción en persona con estructuras de aprendizaje remoto y responsabilidad implementadas. 

Entendemos que algunas familias pueden no sentirse cómodas al regresar a la escuela en el Plan A o B; por lo tanto, también proporcionaremos una opción virtual para estudiantes y padres. 

El gobernador Cooper y el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte determinarán en última instancia cómo nuestras escuelas pueden reabrir de manera segura en el otoño. La apertura de nuestras escuelas requerirá el esfuerzo de toda la comunidad para garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de nuestros estudiantes y personal, al mismo tiempo de brindar oportunidades educativas para todos nuestros estudiantes. 

Pedimos la colaboración de todos los padres completando la encuesta en el sitio web de RCS y la de los miembros del personal llenando la encuesta que se les envió por correo electrónico. Este aporte de los miembros de la comunidad escolar ​​es de mucha importancia para que RCS cree los planes para el regreso a las escuelas.  

UPDATE - June 25, 2020

Richmond County Schools' Summer Meal Service will operate on Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. starting Monday, June 29. The school sites that will be open are Monroe Avenue, Hamlet Middle and L.J. Bell.

From 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., a limited amount of meals can be picked up at the Annex Parking Lot located at 102 Safie Sixth Street in Rockingham and Mineral Springs Elementary.

Students will receive three breakfasts and three lunches on those days - totaling up to six days worth of meals.

Households that signed up for the Emergency Meals-to-You Program will continue to receive their boxes of food through August 17.

Below you will find the full schedule of operation dates. There will be an exception to the first week in July due to the July 4 holiday schedule.  The dates of operation will be as follows:

• June 29 Monday send meals for June 29, June 30 and July 1
• July 1, Wednesday send meals for July 2, 3 and 4 (then off July 6^th for Holiday return)
• July 7 on Tuesday send meals for July 7 and 8
• July 9 on Thursday send meals for July 9, 10 and 11
• July 13 on Monday send meals for July 13, 14 and 15
• July 16 on Thursday send meals for July 16, 17 and 18
• July 20 on Monday send meals for July 20, 21and 22
• July 23, Thursday send meals for July 23, 24 and 25
• July 27, Monday send meals for July 27, 28 and 29
• July 30 Thursday send meals for July 30, 31 and August 1
• August 3 Monday send meals for August 3, 4 and 5
• August 6, Thursday send meals for August 6, 7 and 8
• August 10, Monday send meals for August 10,11 and 12
• August 13, Thursday send meals for August 13, 14 and15

If you have any questions, please contact our Central Office at 910-582-5860 and ask for Child Nutrition. 

UPDATE - May 13, 2020

Richmond County Schools is announcing a new program called Emergency Meals-to-You that will deliver meals for your children to your doorstep for free for the month of June. In order to be included in the program, you must sign up by Monday, May 18 at 5 p.m.

When you sign up for Emergency Meals-to-You, every two weeks you will get a box delivered to your door for each child ages 1 – 18 in your household. Each box will include 10 breakfasts and 10 lunches/suppers. All foods are shelf-stable, which means they will last for a while.

To sign up for the program, go to https://NCmealstoyou.formstack.com/forms/round2.

The deadline to complete the application is Monday, May 18 at 5 p.m. If you do not sign up by the deadline, you will have to pick up meals at the designated school meal sites over the summer as we will not utilize our buses to deliver meals.

If you have any questions about how to fill out the application, please contact the social worker at your child’s school.

UPDATE - May 13, 2020

Richmond County Schools' Child Nutrition Update

Richmond County Schools will begin a new meal preparation and delivery food schedule. Beginning Monday, May 18, Richmond County Schools will prepare and deliver meals at the same time on the following days: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

• On Mondays, breakfast and lunch will be provided.
• On Tuesdays, breakfast and lunch will be provided for Tuesday and Wednesday.
• On Wednesday, no delivery or pick-up. SITES CLOSED.
• On Thursday, breakfast and lunch will be provided for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
• On Friday, no delivery or pick-up. SITES CLOSED.

Bus schedules will remain the same and the following sites are available for meal pick-up from 11 a.m. to noon: Cordova Middle, Hamlet Middle, L.J. Bell, Mineral Springs, Monroe Avenue, Ninth Grade Academy and West Rockingham.

UPDATE - May 10, 2020

PANDEMIC ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER PROGRAM (P-EBT)

North Carolina has been approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. This program will help families who have been impacted by school closings due to COVID-19 purchase food for their children.

In mid-May, families of students who normally receive free and reduced lunch at school will begin receiving P-EBT benefits. All families of students that attend Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, regardless of their income, will be eligible for the card. All public schools in Richmond County are CEP schools. Families with children enrolled in Richmond County Schools will qualify for P-EBT benefits. There is no need for these families to complete an application or take any additional action to receive P-EBT benefits.

Qualified families will receive an allotment of $250 in EBT benefits for each enrolled child. Funds will be issued in two installments. The card can be used to purchase food items at EBT authorized retailers, including most major grocery stores. Families who already have EBT cards will have funds added to their existing card. For those who do not, cards will be mailed to the address on file. If families have recently moved, they should contact their child's school as soon as possible to update their address in PowerSchool.

For additional information about the P-EBT card, visit https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/covid19/assistance/p-ebt.

UPDATE - April 24, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, N.C. K-12 public schools have been closed for an extended time for face-to-face instruction. Richmond County Schools has continued to engage students through remote learning opportunities to support continued student growth and well-being during this public health crisis.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that schools will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year. While school buildings are closed, learning will continue through online instruction along with learning packets. We will also continue to distribute meals to our students.

Below, you will also find  the state board guidance for grading practices for the end of year. Please do not hesitate to call your child's school with questions you may have.

New Mental Health Resource

Hope4NC Helpline at 1-855-587-3463. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has re-established the Hope4NC Helpline to connect North Carolinians to additional meal health and resilience supports that help them cope and build resilience during times of crisis. This mental health hotline is available to everyone in North Carolina's 100 counties during the COVID-19 crisis. This initiative is in partnership with all seven of the states LME/MCOs and REAL Crisis Intervention Inc. in Greenville. Hope4NC is now available 24 hours per day, seven days a week to speak to a live person.

NCDPI and NCDHHS 877-877 Meal Locator Texting Resource 

Families who need help finding meals for their children ages 18 and younger can text FOODNC to 877-877 to locate nearby free meal sites. The texting service is also available in Spanish by texting COMIDA to 877-877.

After entering their address, families will receive a text with the location and serving times for nearby pick-up and drive-thru meal sites while schools are closed. Sites have been set up across the state with school and community partners.

Las familias que necesitan ayuda para encontrar comidas para sus hijos hasta los 18 años pueden enviar un mensaje de texto a COMIDA al 877-877 para ubicar los sitios de comida gratis cercanos a usted. Después de ingresar su dirección, las familias recibirán un mensaje de texto con la ubicación y las horas de servicio para los lugares de comida cercanos para recoger la comida desde su auto, mientras las escuelas están cerradas. Se han establecido sitios de comida en todo el estado en escuelas y organizaciones de la comunidad.

UPDATE - March 23, 2020

On Monday, March 23, Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order that closes all K-12 schools for instructional purposes until May 15th.

Richmond County Schools will continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to our students via bus route and at the meal sites located at Monroe Avenue Elementary, Ninth Grade Academy, West Rockingham Elementary,  L.J. Bell Elementary, Cordova Middle School, Ellerbe Middle School and Hamlet Middle School. Please call our Transportation Department at (910) 997 - 9841 for any questions or to be added to a route.

While our school buildings will remain closed, we will continue to have school remotely and provide learning opportunities for our students. If you have any questions in regards to remote learning or instructional packets, please contact your child’s school between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday - Friday. 

UPDATE - March 19, 2020

In an effort to provide more breakfast and lunches to our students, beginning Friday, March 20th, we will start sending buses on routes to deliver food.

Any Richmond County School child under the age of 18 may pick up a breakfast and lunch at the bus stop closest to their home. If you have a question about which bus stop your child should go to for meals, or would like to be added to the route, please contact the Richmond County Schools’ Transportation Department at (910) 997 - 9841. It is difficult to estimate what time the bus will be at your stop, but buses will begin their delivery routes at approximately 10 a.m. We encourage parents and students to watch for their bus as it comes through and to please be patient as we work on making this process as efficient as possible. Young children should be accompanied by an adult.

In addition to our bus routes, we will continue to provide grab-and-go meals from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the following sites:

Ellerbe Middle, Monroe Avenue Elementary, Ninth Grade Academy, West Rockingham Elementary, Hamlet Middle, L.J. Bell Elementary, and Cordova Middle.

UPDATE - March 16, 2020

Richmond County Schools has added meal sites for students to receive a grab and go breakfast and lunch starting on Tuesday, March 17th from 10:30 a.m. to noon. As of March 16th, we have been updated that children do not have to be present to pick up their bag of food.

The following locations have been added:

Cordova Middle, Cartledge Creek Baptist Church, Philadelphia Community Church, Marston First Baptist Church and Rockingham Skateland.

UPDATE - March 15, 2020

Richmond County Schools has established meal sites for students to receive a grab and go breakfast and lunch starting on Tuesday, March 17th from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Each student is allowed to pick up one bag of food.

The following locations will be used as a drive-through pick-up location:

Ellerbe Middle, Monroe Avenue Elementary, Ninth Grade Academy, West Rockingham Elementary, Hamlet Middle, L.J. Bell Elementary, Hoffman Recreation Center, Mangum Community Center, Norman Community Center, Dobbins Heights Community Center, the Annex on 102 Safie 6th Street and South (Jack) Breeden Park in South Hamlet. 

Instructional packets for elementary and middle school students will be available for pick-up outside your child’s school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Wednesday, March 18th, to help support your child’s learning while they are away from school. High School students will be contacted by their school’s principal about online opportunities. 

UPDATE - March 14, 2020

Following Governor Roy Cooper's directions, Richmond County Schools will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16 through March 30. This will also include Richmond Early College. Monday will be a workday for all RCS staff to access the schools to retrieve personal items/resources.

Richmond County Schools will provide food stations for students during the closing. Those locations and times will be announced at a later date.

UPDATE - March 12, 2020

With guidance from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), Richmond County Schools will suspend interscholastic athletics until further notice. This will include middle and high school athletics.

Click here to read more from the NCHSAA

UPDATE - March 11, 2020

On Tuesday, March 10, Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency to help limit the spread of COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus. This will have several immediate effects on our school district. This action will enable government officials to take extra measures to protect the public.

As always, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community. Effective immediately and until further notice, Richmond County Schools will adhere to the following guidance:

• All out-of-state field trips and travel by students and staff are cancelled;
• All out-of-district field trips and travel by students and staff are cancelled;
• Travel by students and staff to in-state sports competitions will continue, subject to guidance from the NCHSAA;
• We will continue to monitor and update district level events that may be impacted;
• School events held on campus will continue at the Principal's discretion. 

Our principals are working diligently with travel companies to get refunds for our families. Please contact your child's school as they should have more information within the coming days.

We will continue to remind our school community that the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are the same preventions that are recommended for the spread of the flu and the common cold. We encourage students, staff and school visitors to follow proper handwashing and sanitation practices to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.

Here are additional links for more information on COVID-19:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/COVID19.html

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/news/covid-19-response-resources

We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available via phone call, through our social media channels and our website.

March 5, 2020:

Richmond County Schools is closely monitoring information as it develops about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to follow the guidance of local, state and federal health officials.

RCS administrators, support staff services, principals, nurses and the Richmond County Health Department will continue to meet to discuss the latest updates from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Richmond County Health Department.

Health officials advise the steps you take to prevent the spread of the common cold and flu will also help prevent Coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here for prevention measures. As with all precautionary measures, students and staff should frequently and thoroughly wash their hands and avoid touching their faces as much as possible. In addition, we encourage parents to keep their child at home if he or she has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher and to keep them at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health has established a call line at 1-866-462-3821 to address general questions about Coronavirus (COVID-19) from the public.

Additional COVID-19 Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/COVID19.html

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/news/covid-19-response-resources