Planning for JCPS reopening

FEBRUARY 27, 2021 UPDATES

The Jefferson County Board of Education approved the phased-in reopening of our schools to start on March 17th. Here is more, updated information about our school reopening plans.

All schools will use the same hybrid model schedule, meaning there will be two days of in-person instruction and three days of virtual learning for students choosing the in-person option. In-person instruction will be available to all special education (ECE) students in kindergarten through fifth grade, four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  

Students will be assigned in two groups for in-person instruction. Students with a last name beginning with A-K will be in group A and students with a last name beginning with L-Z will be in group B. We will work with families to ensure all students from a household will attend in-person classes on the same day.

  • Grades K-2 elementary school students begin their hybrid learning plan on Wednesday, March 17th. We are still determining what the board-approved March 17th “first day of school” will look like for K-2 students and teachers and will announce those plans soon.
  • Grades 3-5 begin their hybrid learning plan on March 18th
  • Early Childhood begins their hybrid learning plan on March 22nd.
  • Middle and high school students begin their hybrid learning plan on April 5th.

Families have the option to continue learning virtually five days a week. 

Families are encouraged to make their selection to continue learning virtually or switch to in-person instruction on our JCPS website.

We’ll have more details about what our reopening plan will look like next week. 


After carefully reviewing updated guidance and direction from the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, and the Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness Department JCPS has developed a plan to ensure all health and safety protocols are followed when it is safe to reopen our school buildings. To review a summary of our district plan, please see A New Way Forward.  A more detailed version of  our back-to-school plan can be found here. Our schools have also developed plans to show families what the In-Person Learning Option will be like on their campus.  Each individual school's plans for opening their building, including the safety measures that will be implemented, can be found in the Return to School District Portal.   

This video further illustrates what a day will be like for students when our schools reopen.

The JCPS plan for returning to in-person instruction is guided by our commitment to the following principles:

  • Health and Safety
  • High-Quality Instruction
  • Flexibility
  • Equity
  • Accurate and Timely Communication
  • Community Trust 

It is our goal to provide the community a clear window into our planning process, to reveal the challenges and considerations being taken into account as we determine a new way forward, together. We will always remain true to our guiding principles throughout this process. 

If you have not made your selection about how you would like your child to continue learning when our buildings reopen or would like to change your previous selection, please complete this selection form to indicate your preference for the In-Person Learning Option or the Virtual Learning Option.