Fayetteville Public Schools officials are preparing for alternate methods of instruction in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

No specific closures have been announced, but students are expected to receive a packet on Friday, March 13 with instructions on what to do if classes are canceled.

Superintendent John L. Colbert said the district has received approval to use Alternative Methods of Instruction days, and that each school has prepared assignments that will be used in the event of school closures.

The district has created a website where home assignments can be found for each school.

Colbert said all parent-teacher conferences and meetings will be held online or by telephone until further notice. The district has also banned all international and out of state travel for staff members and students for the time being.

As a precaution, the district has canceled all district-sponsored field trips, afterschool events and large gatherings.

The AAA state basketball tournament scheduled for March 14 has been canceled. Further announcements regarding athletic events will come soon, Colbert said.

With Spring Break approaching, the governor has urged residents to consider precautionary measures when traveling.

Colbert said any families who come in contact with an individual exposed to the virus, travel to an affected country, travel aboard a cruise ship, or show signs of the virus should communicate by phone or electronically with their child’s principal prior to returning to school. Colbert said those students may be impacted by quarantine procedures for up to 14 days.

Students who self-quarantine will be counted absent per district policy, Colbert said. However, students who are quarantined under a doctor’s order at home will have their absences coded as medical exclusions and are considered excused.