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Students in the Butler County School system will not return to school until September, officials announced today.

The Butler County Board of Education voted to revise the Butler County School System Calendar to delay students’ return to school until Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Teachers and support staff will return to school on Monday, Aug.17, 2020 as originally scheduled for intense training and preparation for the delivery of instruction to students in the traditional classroom setting, as well as, the new virtual platform that will be provided.

“This additional time before students return to school is crucial for teacher/staff training, implementation of health and safety protocols, and also to allow adequate time for the remainder of the safety products and materials that have been ordered to be delivered to our schools,” said Superintendent Joseph Eiland. “Most importantly, as Butler County has recently been designated as a “hot spot” in Alabama for COVID-19, a delayed opening date for the students will hopefully allow time for a reduction in the number of cases in our area and a safer environment for our students to return to school.

“Our year round employees continue to work diligently to sanitize buildings and procure sanitation supplies and personal protective equipment for all of our students and staff members.  I extend my deepest appreciation to these hard-working individuals who are determined to make the opening of the 2020/2021 school year a reality,” he said. “I appreciate the patience and understanding of our community members as we strive to meet the challenges that have been placed before our school system this year.  The mission of our system remains consistent – we are boldly committed to student success and we will continue to provide the best educational services possible to enable our students to flourish.”