McCormick wondered about a remote option for families if they preferred their child not go into school for safety or medical reasons, but Anastasio said there is no plan since the CDC strongly recommends we have students in school. He said school officials may work with some families if there is a medial reason, but the district does not have the resources and staffing to offer a full remote option as it did last school year. Get notified when the ePaper has been delivered (requires subscription), Augusta Public Schools to enforce mask wearing for all students, staff, visitors, Augusta Public School Board pursues pool testing for reducing pandemic requirements. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) atphite@newsleader.comand follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Superintendent James Anastasio strongly recommended the board vote in favor of the mandate. Riverheads High School 19 Howardsville Road Staunton, VA 24401 Phone: (540) 337-1921 Fax: (540) 337-0258. Ensure that the phone number is not blocked in phone settings. I want to work with you. Its still a big health problem, she said. Shop the collection. Already have a commenting profile? 0:57. Richmond County students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. The 2015 election was the last election for all seven seats to appear on the ballot at the same time. 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. 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. The CDC also hasnt said how teachers can know which students are vaccinated or how parents will know which teachers are immunized. Teacher at Dixon Preschool Center Augusta County Public Schools 4.2 Anastasio said its easier at all levels since people move around the district. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. You are muzzling our children. Its why the news isnt sitting well with him and others. Some counties within the BRHD qualify for indoor masking, per the CDC guideline.Charlottesville and Albemarle County are not there as of today, but as you can see, the 7-day moving average is going in the wrong direction district-wide. on. Masks are still required on buses per federal law. The Augusta County School Board unanimously affirmed at its meeting Thursday they would follow the law as now presented to them. 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. "We have to consider how the mask is affecting them emotionally," Simmons said. "Not seeing facial expressions. Harrisonburg man charged with crimes connected to Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. Collins said he worded his motion so it gave a date for going mask optional, but also gave the board its own options. They have thrived and remained healthy.. Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. Enter your email and password to access comments. Make masks mandatory!" Aiken Public Safety officers rushed out to where the overflow crowd was gathered because of meeting room capacity restrictions, and the . Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. VERONA Augusta County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks for students and staff at least three more weeks. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. The board voted to confirm that they will abide by the law, but members went on to say they would like to write to Richmond and shake the tree.. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Best for a great weekend. Under the protocol, masks are required for all students, staff and visitors to all school district facilities and on buses, regardless of vaccination status. Masks will be required for anyone inside Charleston County schools until Oct. 15, 2021. Pediatric death is rare, but not zero, so its our responsibility to protect all children. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Face coverings and masks will be optional at Charleston County schools when students return to their classrooms Aug. 18. All rights reserved. But the Virginia Department of Health is not making any masking decisions yet. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Kelly F. Troxell Ed.D., Executive Director of Personnel (540) 245-5107, Section 504 Coordinator Douglas W. Shifflett, Jr. Ed.D, Deputy Superintendent (540) 245-5108. We fear if we dont have universal masking, the letter stated, there will be outbreaks warranting school closure.. The goal is to be finished by Jan.31. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. The school board voted unanimously Aug. 9 to allow the district to change . The Augusta Board of Education voted Wednesday night, 5 to 1, to mandate mask wearing. 1:30 PM Community Policy Management Team. 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. Weve been saying all along students should be in school and shouldnt be tied to masks, said Conservative Parents of Lynchburg Founder Andrew Glover. "Personally, I would like to see the masks gone," Chairperson David Shiflett said, "but now I dont think is the time.. Mask Policy AMI Dates; Augusta School District: Full mask requirement: McCrory School District: Masks have been and continue to be required on all Georgia school buses. Wayne District representative Tim Swortzel made the motion to make face-coverings optional and North River representative Nicholas Collins seconded. The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 on Thursday to make masks optional . Create one. The Augusta County, VA is not responsible for the content of external sites. A child whose parent has elected that he or she is not subject to a mask mandate should not be required to wear a mask under any policy implemented by a teacher, school, school district, the Department of Educationor any other state authority. North River representative Nick Collins made the motion Thursday, which gives the school board a chance to reevaluate the decision in the coming weeks if there are any legal challenges to Virginia Gov. In the central Virginia community, as of the July 27 update, here are the following localities in the: The potential for this to be a problem is much, much lower in areas with low amounts of disease, said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. Virginias approach to COVID-19 has always been driven by the science, and we continue to emphasize that the only way out of this pandemic is through vaccination., A spokesperson for the Blue Ridge Health District, Jason Elliott, said in an interview with NBC29 last week that it is extremely important -- probably the most important -- to get vaccinated now more than it ever has been before.. The Augusta County School Board is a seven-member board elected by district to four-year terms. Masks are still required on buses per federal law. People are also reading 'Cousin Eddie' display from 'Christmas Vacation' leads to Kentucky police response Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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. 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. 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. The school board sent out a letter on July 22 stating the county did not have the legal authority to reject the state-mandated policies. The availability of onsite testing will be of particular help since testing appointments at area providers have been backed up and there are shortages of at-home, rapid tests available for purchase. Patrick Hite is The News Leader's educationreporter. . 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. More. List of Augusta County Public Schools. Board member John Ward said they do not want to expose faculty to liability and said hopefully they will see low numbers throughout the start of the school year. Even though mask mandates will not be enforced inside school, masks will still be required on school buses, as well as for staff members and adults inside the school building. Milestones were waived in 2020 as a result of the chaos caused by the initial outbreak of COVID-19, and the weight of the test was greatly diminished last year. Sign in or Subscribe Click here for "Masks and Safety Protocols". He said the basis for his recommendation came from the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, among other scientific studies, and said he would only make an unpopular decision on the err of safety., Im an experienced educator; I dont have medical training; I dont pretend to know what professionals in the medical field do, Anastasio said. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta county school board members say they were blind-sided by news out of Richmond over masks in the classrooms. All rights reserved. All say theyre waiting for additional guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Health and Governor Ralph Northam. 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. Accommodations will be made for students and employees unable to wear a mask for documented medical reasons. Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent (540) 245-5108, Where Students Grow Intellectually, Physically, and Emotionally. The Columbia County Board of Education will be withdrawing its requirements for students and faculty to wear face-coverings beginning Sept. 29. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. MORE | Threat puts Thomson High School put on. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay safe. He said "lots of parents" had reached out to him saying masks had created emotional damage for their children. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Scotto's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria building up for lease, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Jim Wood urged to surrender vice mayors position, resign, Waynesboro family-owned pig farm embraces sustainable pork production, Newly-opened local fashion boutique celebrates grand opening, Waynesboro City Council appoints RISE co-founder Chanda McGuffin to Waynesboro's Economic Development Authority board, Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office ends affiliation with Reelz TV show 'On Patrol: Live', Staunton boys basketball team suffers season-ending loss to Cave Spring, No. My biggest concern is, I would never go into your home and tell you whats best for your child, McCormick said. As we learn more, I am comfortable with yes. MORE: Mask Mandates Are Hot Topic at Columbia County School Board Meeting "These absences from school will be excused and students will be permitted to make up all missed work," the letter said. Although most of the discussion at Wednesday nights meeting surrounded the VDOE model treatment of transgender students policies, Kristine Welcher spoke out against masks as a parent of children attending Stuarts Draft schools. AUGUSTA The Augusta Public Schools will require students, staff and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status next school year. All rights reserved. I want to work with every one of you. Now. . Sign up for breaking news alerts. Glenn Youngkin's executive order making masks optional or "any changing negative trends related to our local area health concerns.". window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ndsTchhICxLNjF_dxI18aRlyWnQfS.IeNB3Ql0MS2hM-1800-0"}; Story ideas and tips always welcome. Glenn Youngkin's executive order on masks in schools. But she also says this guidance makes sense because of the more transmissible Delta variant. A sign encourages students, teachers and visitors to wear masks at Ladson Elementary School on Aug. 11, 2021. Kristine Welcher, a licensed nurse, speaks out against a mask mandate at Wednesday nights Augusta County School Board meeting at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville. The policy was part of the districts response to COVID last school year, but now state law prohibits individual school systems from requiring students to wear masks. All rights reserved. Social distancing was one of the larger issues in the past as to why the schools had to do hybrid learning, but now, social distancing is less of a priority Anastasio said, if universal masking is mandated. That comes days after Staunton and Waynesboro announced their school divisions will continue to require masks to help with COVID-19 mitigation with no end date set for thosemandates. Make masks mandatory! On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal masking in schools at every grade level. The week of Jan. 17 there were 171 cases. Verify your phone numbers and contact preferences are correct in Campus Parent > User > Settings > Contact Preferences. This a wonderful school district to work, and a beautiful area! Editor. We have no affiliation up here because we did not want that to interfere, it does not need to interfere with the decisions that we make for our parents and for our kids, but I am going to go against the grain tonight and say that we have got to get a republican governor into the state house this fall, board member Nicholas Collins said. Its vaccination that Walensky says will prevent her biggest fear. Administrators say theyre hearing the same from other parents. Fennville Public . Copyright 2023 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Washtenaw County schools opt to keep masks on 'until further notice' . Our children under 12 years of age are not eligible to be vaccinated, so the best thing to protect them is to continue masking and social distancing, the letter from the local pediatricians said.