augusta county schools mask policy
Story ideas and tips always welcome. As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. Albemarle County Public Schools announced Monday that it continue to comply with the state law that masks be worn by all students in all schools and facilities. The division also said that. It was heated at times - like when people called board members cowards for wearing masks and forcing students to wear them. Masks have been and continue to be required on all Georgia school buses. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday evening. But othersincluding her momhave a different opinion. . We do not appreciate it. The school board also voted to follow the contact tracing guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health. My recommendation to follow recommendation of the CDC is on the basis of following those who are more knowledgeable than I am regarding information on the pandemic.. Board Chairperson Amanda Olson told McCormick there had been more of a discussion for the mask mandate at a board workshop a couple of weeks earlier, which McCormick did not attend. I was a Title 1 reading teacher and was treated with professionalism and respect. Helms added that she would also like to see the masks stay. Accommodations will be made for students and employees unable to wear a mask for documented medical reasons. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. Face coverings and masks will be optional at Charleston County schools when students return to their classrooms Aug. 18. Staunton and Waynesboro schools will continue requiring masks for all students and staff. Only two people spoke out in favor of masks. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. Many board members said they are not happy that the decision is out of their hands, and went on to say they want things to change in Richmond. Bradshaw said they are not putting an end-date on theprotocol, but that they are continuing to monitor the latest data and consult with experts on the necessary way to proceed. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Masks may be removed during lunch and while outside. Augusta County residents fill Wilson Memorial High School's auditorium on Wednesdaynight for a school board meeting where transgender policies and a mask mandate were voted on. Please subscribe to continue reading 0 Comments Get local news delivered to your inbox! Several attendees at Tuesday night's Aiken County school board meeting jumped at the sound of a woman outside the meeting room shouting, "Make masks mandatory! There is [sic] three reasons why COVID cases are going up. To date, they have distributed 20,230 devices. Weve been saying all along students should be in school and shouldnt be tied to masks, said Conservative Parents of Lynchburg Founder Andrew Glover. ", Staunton and Waynesboro, in their announcements, mentioned SB1303, which requireseach school board in Virginia to provide the in-person instruction "in a manner in which it adheres, to the maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies for early childhood care and education programs and elementary and secondary schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 that have been provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Schools, including in Waynesboro and Augusta County, have the freedom to "implement local mask policies." Waynesboro school board members will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Waynesboro High School and are expected to tackle the state's guidelines when discussing the city's reopening plan. Reading Specialist (Former Employee) - Verona, VA - August 12, 2020. The Augusta County, VA is not responsible for the content of external sites. All rights reserved. Anastasio said its easier at all levels since people move around the district. Although theres not yet an indoor mask mandate in Virginia, the CDC says there should be. Her motion died for lack of a second. Subscribe to usat newsleader.com. The CDC also says all schools should have universal masking, which is something Albemarle County Public Schools are already planning to do, and Charlottesvilles school board could vote to do in early August. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School . I would rather go with safety; I want kids to be in school five days a week.. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ndsTchhICxLNjF_dxI18aRlyWnQfS.IeNB3Ql0MS2hM-1800-0"}; Contact tracing will only be done when there's anoutbreak, which is definedas"10% of a grade level, staff or entire school," per the letter. "Not seeing facial expressions. Copyright 2021 WHSV. Afterward, the public spoke and most of the comments were about masks in school. May 19, 2021. Board member Donna Wells stated that the board learned this afternoon that legislation passed earlier this year requires schools to follow CDC recommendations for mask wearing. However, counties around the state had already rejected the policies, and lawsuits appear to show funding is not in jeopardy for localities that voted no, according to a report from the Courthouse News Service. I anticipated more discussion before we voted.. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Kelly F. Troxell Ed.D., Executive Director of Personnel (540) 245-5107, Douglas W. Shifflett, Jr. The developer, Augusta County Public Schools, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. All rights reserved. In a retreat Thursday afternoon at the Augusta County Government Center, the school board voted 5-1 to make masks optional in schools beginning Monday, Feb. 14. Its vaccination that Walensky says will prevent her biggest fear. Several counties have full mask wearing policies for both on the bus and in the school buildings including: McDuffie County; Richmond County; Warren County; Hancock County; The other CSRA . Mask Policy AMI Dates; Augusta School District: Full mask requirement: McCrory School District: The district had held. When voting to rescind the mask mandate, the Augusta County School Board said it would watch COVID numbers in schools and keep the mandate in place if numbers weren't trending in a good direction. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. We have always tried to be non-political. ", As of its most recent update on Jan. 13, the CDC "recommends universal indoor masking by allstudents (ages 2 years and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.". All rights reserved. https://www.augusta.k12.va.us Now. McCormick said she wished the discussion about masking would have been at the business meeting instead. We got to show some force or whatever you need to do to show those people down there to understand that we need to be allowed to make the decision that best suits our kids because we deal with our kids, we deal with the parents, board member Tim Swortzel said. I feel like its the parents decision. Augusta County Public Schools reported on its dashboard that the week of Jan. 9 it had 236 total cases of COVID, including 209 among students. Mask Policy Due to recent in local COVID conditions, the advice of our local health department, and school divisions policies, masks are now mandatory for all students, staff, and visitors. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendation., RELATED: New CDC guidelines call for masks in schools K-12. The Augusta Board of Education voted. Parent Portal Student registration DOCUMENTS PERSONNEL Acceptable use policy STAFF Portal bGMS construction update RMS Construction Update While the nations top public health agency says vaccinated teachers and students can ditch the mask, some say its too soon. Under the protocol, masks are required for all students, staff and visitors to all school district facilities and on buses, regardless of vaccination status. on. If you dont, I dont have a problem with that either.. Richmond County students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. School Superintendent Steven Flynt announced the rescinding of the mask mandate during the board's regular session Tuesday. Kortney Lockey, Lynchburg Bureau - Multimedia Journalist. Aiken County Public Schools spokesperson Mike Rosier said via email that they will not be mandating masks, citing a memo from South Carolina Superintendent Molly Spearman saying the General Assembly's Proviso 1.108 in the 2021-22 Appropriations Bill prohibits any school district from requiring students or staff to wear a mask. Timothy Simmons, who represents the Pastures District, said he is in favor of making masks optional. Sign up for breaking news alerts. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) - "It's just not right to have them mandate it," said 8th grader Jonathan Vasquez. Make masks mandatory!" Aiken Public Safety officers rushed out to where the overflow crowd was gathered because of meeting room capacity restrictions, and the . Verify your phone numbers and contact preferences are correct in Campus Parent > User > Settings > Contact Preferences. Beloved local eatery, The Pie Chest, closing for good this month, Family of Ukrainian refugees using music to adapt to life in Charlottesville. Augusta County Public Schools is the organization that operates the public school system in Augusta County, Virginia. The Augusta County School Board held a special session on July 29th to discuss what turned out to be two issues. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Welcher said the number of cases did not show a need for further mask mandates in schools as students return five days a week for in-person instruction. Heritage Pharma plans to start testing Monday, Jan. 24, and families are asked to stay tuned for more details. Plenty of Augusta-area locations offer them, At-home COVID test website launches early. Between Dec. 4 and 18, Georgia reported just under 20,000new cases, and most of the state's map was a light-yellow. That is its highest weekly total of the school year. He said "lots of parents" had reached out to him saying masks had created emotional damage for their children. Kids' face masks with Augusta County Schools designs for a child-friendly fit. Learn More You are now exiting the Augusta County, VA. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal masking in schools at every grade level. Athletics DirectorScott McClintock reported that the Georgia High School Association is providing every high school with two automated cameras that will live-stream games online. In a statement, the Blue Ridge Health District said: The Virginia Department of Health will analyze the CDCs guidance now that it has been released. Many have since returned to school, but the virus continues to spread. Under the protocol,masks arerequired for allstudents, staff andvisitors to all school districtfacilities and onbuses,regardless of vaccination status. Other board members shared their reasoning for voting in favor of the mask mandate. Thats because its flu season, masks dont work, and upcoming elections., This is not a joke to any of us, said Rebecca Lotts, who opposes the mandates. "Personally, I would like to see the masks gone," Chairperson David Shiflett said, "but now I dont think is the time.. When voting to rescind the mask mandate, the Augusta County School Board said it would watch COVID numbers in schools and keep the mandate in place if numbers weren't trending in a good direction. 5:00 PM Joint Meeting-Augusta County Board of Supervisors and Augusta County . Walensky says thats not the case now, and vaccines are very effective. We reached out to school leaders all over the region. "In light of those considerations, the practice is to allowconsistencyin how students and staff are treated with respect to mitigation measures.". Wayne District representative Tim Swortzel made the motion to make face-coverings optional and North River representative Nicholas Collins seconded. Starting on Jan. 24, Highland County Public Schools says masks will be recommended to protect students and staff amid a high number of COVID-19 cases in the county. "We have to consider how the mask is affecting them emotionally," Simmons said. What we in public health and science are worried about is the virus and (how many) potential mutations away we are from a very transmissible virus that has the potential to evade our vaccines in terms of how it protects us from severe disease and death, she said. The policies say schools should allow students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The 2015 election was the last election for all seven seats to appear on the ballot at the same time. Following the publics comments, board member Donna Wells stated that the board learned just this afternoon that Senate Bill 1303 passed earlier this year requires schools to follow CDC recommendations, which recommends masks for teachers, students and staff inside. Fennville Public . Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Studentswill be permitted to remove masksduring lunch and while outside. //
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