augusta county schools mask policy

The week of Jan. 17 there were 171 cases. Columbia County . All rights reserved. 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. nations top public health agency says vaccinated teachers and students can ditch the mask. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Latest trends. He shared the letter from the pediatricians at the board meeting. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. 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. You can cancel at any time. Heres why. Were gonna have to step back, go by the law, and prove them wrong, Ward said. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Now. 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. 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. If you can't find the answer, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. Plenty of Augusta-area locations offer them, At-home COVID test website launches early. VERONA Officials with Augusta County Public Schools have announced that masks won't be required beginning Monday for students, staff and visitors. I feel like its the parents decision. Im not real sure how well they work to begin with, Dana Worley, her mom, said. The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 during its annual retreat Thursday to set the date when students and staff can take off their masks, with parameters in place that allow the board members to change its mind if cases persist or legal objections strike down Gov. No parent electing that a mask mandate should not apply to his or her child shall be required to provide a reason or make any certification concerning their childs health or education. About 20 minutes into the school board meeting Thursday evening, members went into closed session with its legal council. The school board voted unanimously Aug. 9 to allow the district to change . Already registered? "In light of those considerations, the practice is to allowconsistencyin how students and staff are treated with respect to mitigation measures.". All rights reserved. May 19, 2021. 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 is still considered to be a community with a high transmission level, with the VDH reporting a 36.4% positivity level in its most recent update. 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. "TheBoard and administration have consideredand reviewedthe continued reduction of positive cases amongourstudentsand staff, as well as recent court rulings, General Assembly action,Executive Order 6, andpendingHealth and Safety Codes Board actionnext week," Bond wrote in an email to The News Leader asking about the decision for staff. While the nation's top public health agency says vaccinated teachers and students can ditch the mask, some. People are also reading I think they should still be wearing masks for their safety and everyone elses, said Will Via, a dad from Verona. 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. I feel like everyone should still be wearing masks, vaccinated or not, said Shae Helms, a sophomore at Amherst County High School. Do you have a story idea? The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 on Thursday to make masks optional . Copyright 2021 WVIR. In light of Virginia's school mask policy change, we have included a list of school districts and their decisions on masking. Its equal or worse than in December, and our healthcare workers are drowning, said Tara Mahanes. Augusta County School Boards motion on Wednesday includes flexibility to alter its plans if case numbers change. 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. The Augusta County School Board held a special session on July 29th to discuss what turned out to be two issues. 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. ", More: Here's how fast the special use permit process has gone for Houff's Churchville pit, More: Resignation of Staunton City Manager Steve Rosenberg: Councilor Mead's remarks. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) [email protected] follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. 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.. Below you will find several links to helpful resources for our residents. Another potential headache: the CDC is still recommending schools continue to space kids out and keep their desks three feet apart. Some quoted scripture, while others blamed politics. Copyright 2021 WVIR. See Offers. Copyright 2023 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. To be considered for employment, you must provide the following: A completed online application Transcripts or high school diploma (if required for the position for which you are applying). 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.. Find Augusta County, Virginia public schools, including charter schools, k-12, elementary, middle, and high schools. I hope youre on the same side.. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. As we learn more, I am comfortable with yes. 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. That's why we try our best to make it easy to live in this beautiful place we call home. Augusta County residents lead busy lives. His first item of focus is the rights of parents. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Virginia (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases rise within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask requirements. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. 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. Make masks mandatory! If you want to wear one, I dont see a problem with that. Augusta County Public Schools18 Government Center LaneVerona, VA 24482Phone: 540-245-5100Fax: 540-245-5115. : Plenty of Augusta-area locations offer them, More: At-home COVID test website launches early. Masks have been and continue to be required on all Georgia school buses. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. The school district will not have to pay for them so long as theysign an agreement to keep the cameras up for five years. Masks may be removed during lunch and while outside. 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.. Some people asked what the penalty is for not wearing a mask and the board said they do not have an exact answer at this time. Designed and sold by artists. This huge statewide spike, and the 29schools that were shifted to distance learning in Richmond County, led to the school board's reaffirming its mask mandate Tuesday. Its why the news isnt sitting well with him and others. We do not appreciate it. All students, staff and volunteers in county schools will wear masks to begin the school year. The only instance where county students are required to wear masks is on the school bus because of a federal mandate related to public transportation. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School . He said "lots of parents" had reached out to him saying masks had created emotional damage for their children. Masks will return to Augusta County schools this fall. Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - It may be time for some of us in Central Virginia to mask back up. 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. Use the form below to reset your password. Richmond County students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. School boards are required by state law to enact the policies for the 2021-22. I want to work with every one of you. McCormick voted against the mandate, saying she believes the decision for students to wear masks should be up to families, not the school administration. Certification or licensure (if required for the position for which you are applying) That guidance comes as cases are rising virtually everywhere across the country -- including in the Charlottesville area. Walensky says thats not the case now, and vaccines are very effective. Lawrence County School District: Full mask requirement: Sloan-Hendrix School District: . Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. "We'll revisit it. Don't have a commenting profile? The district had held. Augustas annual free backpack, school supplies event scheduled for Sunday, Amid shouts and anger from parents, Skowhegan-area school board requires masks for first weeks of school, Madison man serving 30 days for violation of privacy in cellphone incident, With Domino's opening in Farmington, 'pizza wars' taking place on community Facebook group, Reporting Aside: As China woman confronts fatal diagnosis, she hopes for a final wish, Girls basketball: Lawrence defeats Brunswick to win Class A title, Clinton man sentenced to at least 9 months in jail for reckless driving that killed girlfriend. The Governor also stated, "K-12 school districts and charter schools still maintain the right to institute and enforce policies to mitigate against COVID-19 spread including the use of masks." [CDATA[ Some in Augusta County oppose school mask mandates as COVID-19 cases surge. Sign in or Subscribe The Augusta County School Board unanimously affirmed at its meeting Thursday they would follow the law as now presented to them. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday evening. Between Dec. 4 and 18, Georgia reported just under 20,000new cases, and most of the state's map was a light-yellow. "We have to consider how the mask is affecting them emotionally," Simmons said. All rights reserved. Via has three kids in Augusta County Public Schools and only one of them is old enough to get the shot. But othersincluding her momhave a different opinion. Kati McCormick was the only board member to vote against the measure. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. 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 statement, the Blue Ridge Health District said: The Virginia Department of Health will analyze the CDCs guidance now that it has been released. "These absences from school will be excused and students will be permitted to make up all missed work," the letter said. There was a problem saving your notification. Send us your news tip here. The school board met Thursday night to discuss their back-to-school. McCormick said she wished the discussion about masking would have been at the business meeting instead. Already have a commenting profile? 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. Story ideas and tips always welcome. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta county school board members say they were blind-sided by news out of Richmond over masks in the classrooms. If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1558. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. Tomorrow marks one week until Columbia County and some Richmond County students start the new year. Your cooperation with this change is expectedand appreciated. 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 . You will receive an email to complete the registration. on March 2.Read more about the C.D . Glenn Youngkin's executive order making masks optional or "any changing negative trends related to our local area health concerns.". The delta variant is so very contagious it appears to cause high viral loads even in vaccinated people who become infected.. Enter your email and password to access comments. Learn more. Need a COVID-19 test? AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Richmond County Board of Education met Tuesday night to get a COVID update from the superintendent. 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. //

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