In the last five weeks since students returned from winter break, Augusta County Schools have reported 889 positive cases, the highest five-week total of the school year. The CDC released this map of the country, which says how your city or county is doing as far as COVID-19 transmission. Studentswill be permitted to remove masksduring lunch and while outside. All students, staff and volunteers in county schools will wear masks to begin the school year. Rules for school Masks have been mandated for all students, staff and visitors at all Richmond County School System facilities and on school buses, regardless of vaccination status. School Superintendent Steven Flynt announced the rescinding of the mask mandate during the board's regular session Tuesday. Kids' face masks with Augusta County Schools designs for a. About 50 people attended the Augusta. MORE: Mask Mandates Are Hot Topic at Columbia County School Board Meeting 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. The Augusta County School Board unanimously affirmed at its meeting Thursday they would follow the law as now presented to them. If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1558. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) atphite@newsleader.comand follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. on. AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Richmond County Board of Education met Tuesday night to get a COVID update from the superintendent. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. School board votes to make masks optional for all students, staff in Augusta County. Columbia County schools decided to make masks optional for students moving forward effective for summer school. Afterward, the public spoke and most of the comments were about masks in school. Over the summer, our children have been maskless, Welcher said. "Not seeing facial expressions. There was a problem saving your notification. On Tuesday, Richmond County Superintendent Kenneth Bradshaw displayed a map of Georgia for the school board and said, "The map tells it all with all that red.". They have been in public places and taken place in social gatherings. Designed and sold by artists. Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. In numbers reported throughThursday morning, Augusta County was at 87positive cases this week, with 12 of those at Stuarts Draft High School and 11 more at Stuarts Draft Elementary. 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." New CDC re-masking guidelines say several Central Virginia areas should bring back masks, Youngkin signs universal license recognition law at Richmond barber shop, National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, V.D.O.T to conduct lane closures on I-95 north in Henrico, Health Minute: First at-home flu and COVID test authorized. Timothy Simmons will take a seat on the Augusta County School Board in January. The winners of the 2015 races in the Beverly Manor, Pastures and Middle River Districts served . If you want to wear one, I dont see a problem with that. Although theres not yet an indoor mask mandate in Virginia, the CDC says there should be. I think they should still be wearing masks for their safety and everyone elses, said Will Via, a dad from Verona. Parent Portal Student registration DOCUMENTS PERSONNEL Acceptable use policy STAFF Portal bGMS construction update RMS Construction Update Contact Patrick (he/him/his) atphite@newsleader.comand follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. "These absences from school will be excused and students will be permitted to make up all missed work," the letter said. By Jessica Mallow. on March 2.Read more about the C.D . School Board members made the decision Thursday . 1:30 PM Community Policy Management Team. The main issue was the recent Commonwealth decision that all schools needed to have a non-discrimination policy in place in regards to transgender students. 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. Anastasio also said the DOE will require schools to report teacher vaccination status, which will be done anonymously and through a survey. The school board also voted to follow the contact tracing guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health. VERONA Augusta County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks for students and staff at least three more weeks. Augusta County residents lead busy lives. Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent (540) 245-5108, Where Students Grow Intellectually, Physically, and Emotionally. Masks will be required for anyone inside Charleston County schools until Oct. 15, 2021. Students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. You have permission to edit this article. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday evening. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. The speakers who opposed the policies voiced concerns about safety issues, parental and privacy rights, and religious freedom. Here are a few of them: Blue Ridge Health District vaccination scheduler, Call the BRHD COVID-19 Hotline 434-972-6261. 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. Below you will find several links to helpful resources for our residents. McCormick said she wished the discussion about masking would have been at the business meeting instead. The developer, Augusta County Public Schools, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. 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. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Copyright 2021 WVIR. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta county school board members say they were blind-sided by news out of Richmond over masks in the classrooms. The VDOE did not mandate the mask usage, and Augusta County opted to leave it up to individual students and staff. @NBC29 pic.twitter.com/L8eS6n0bxz. Latest trends. 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.. That's why we try our best to make it easy to live in this beautiful place we call home. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. 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 even fire-engine red Augusta County is on board with Gov. You are muzzling our children. Login. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta County students will head to school on Tuesday, August 10 wearing masks. Official transcripts are required at the time of employment. McCormick voted against the mandate, saying she believes the decision for students to wear masks should be up to families, not the school administration. Under the protocol,masks arerequired for allstudents, staff andvisitors to all school districtfacilities and onbuses,regardless of vaccination status. If you can't find the answer, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. The superintendent is great, the principal was wonderful. Use the form below to reset your password. Timothy Simmons, who represents the Pastures District, said he is in favor of making masks optional. I was excited not to have them (masks), but then I saw new data said the delta variant could infect people with the vaccine and could result in a spread. But the Virginia Department of Health is not making any masking decisions yet. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Im not real sure how well they work to begin with, Dana Worley, her mom, said. Tomorrow marks one week until Columbia County and some Richmond County students start the new year. Kids' face masks with Augusta County Schools designs for a child-friendly fit. 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. AUGUSTA The Augusta Public Schools will require students, staff and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status next school year. The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 on Thursday to make masks optional . Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education and sports reporter. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday night. 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. Here's how fast the special use permit process has gone for Houff's Churchville pit, Resignation of Staunton City Manager Steve Rosenberg: Councilor Mead's remarks, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. That is its highest weekly total of the school year. I feel like everyone should still be wearing masks, vaccinated or not, said Shae Helms, a sophomore at Amherst County High School. I want to work with every one of you. FISHERSVILLE The Augusta County School Board voted unanimously to make masks optional at all grade levels for both staff and students Thursday night at Wilson Memorial High School, which was met with cheers from the packed auditorium. {{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. 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. Staunton and Waynesboro schools will continue requiring masks for all students and staff. [CDATA[ 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. The Augusta County School Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, status as a veteran, national origin, or disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. 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. . So far this week the school division has reported 85 casesdespite studentsbeing out all week because of a holiday and snow. 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. "We'll revisit it. Fourteen people spoke out against the mandates, citing their fear of heath issues they believe could be caused by masks. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. She asked if it was considered by administration to have a mask mandate for the younger students and recommended for the older students. The letter continued, we know masking works and applauded children for their efforts in masking in the past school year. How to order free testing kits from the government. Wayne District representative Tim Swortzel made the motion to make face-coverings optional and North River representative Nicholas Collins seconded. 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 . About 20 minutes into the school. I anticipated more discussion before we voted.. As areas around the state see an uptick in COVID-19 cases, with many related to the delta variant, the Virginia Department of Health, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education, released guidance on July 21 that urged masks for all students and staff at elementary schools, regardless of vaccination status. Welcher, a licensed nurse and mental health professional, said her child in pre-K came home from school last year with remnants of food, moisture and snot from being forced to wear a face-covering for eight hours. The Augusta Public Schools will have in-person learning, five days a week. Copyright 2023 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Administrators say theyre hearing the same from other parents. Learn More You are now exiting the Augusta County, VA. Washtenaw County schools opt to keep masks on 'until further notice' . Glenn Youngkin's executive order that made their decision possible. The numbers have fluctuated within the school division. As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. The Augusta County School Board is a seven-member board elected by district to four-year terms. Between Jan. 4 and 18, Georgia reported over 200,000 new cases, and the map had turned a dark burgundy. People spoke for and against requiring students to wear masks this fall, as the school board previously stated masks would be optional. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendation., RELATED: New CDC guidelines call for masks in schools K-12. See Offers. Becoming a Foster Parent Become a foster parent to a child in need. Some in Augusta County oppose school mask mandates as COVID-19 cases surge. The district had held. 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. Published: Jan. 20, 2022 at 7:43 PM PST. This a wonderful school district to work, and a beautiful area! The school district will not have to pay for them so long as theysign an agreement to keep the cameras up for five years. The division also said that. Riverheads High School 19 Howardsville Road Staunton, VA 24401 Phone: (540) 337-1921 Fax: (540) 337-0258. Masks are still required on buses per federal law. Verify your phone numbers and contact preferences are correct in Campus Parent > User > Settings > Contact Preferences. Its still a big health problem, she said. Board member Martha Witham said masks are the one thing that will keep everyone safe when school starts and they are a small price to pay to get kids back in school full time and to keep everyone safe., This wasnt a quick decision, board member Jennifer Dumond said. Under the protocol, masks are required for all students, staff and visitors to all school district facilities and on buses, regardless of vaccination status. All rights reserved. Already registered? 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. MORE | Threat puts Thomson High School put on. Click here for "Masks and Safety Protocols". Heritage Pharma plans to start testing Monday, Jan. 24, and families are asked to stay tuned for more details. //