Washington County Public Schools aims to continue in person, despite surge in COVID-19
Despite a local and statewide surge in COVID-19 cases, Washington County Public Schools' superintendent said the school system, "to the very best of our ability," would not return to virtual learning.
Superintendent Boyd Michael made the announcement at Tuesday night's business meeting of the Washington County Board of Education.
"This obviously, as we go into the third year of the pandemic, is … one more unprecedented year," Michael said. "It just seems to get more complicated as we move forward … ."
Earlier in the day, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a 30-day state of emergency that allowed him to mobilize 1,000 members of the Maryland National Guard to help state and local health officials deal with the COVID-19 surge.
Hogan said Maryland hit a record high 3,057 COVID-19 hospitalizations, an increase of more than 500% in the last seven weeks. The newest projections show that COVID-19 hospitalizations could reach more than 5,000, which is more than 250% higher than the previous peak.
In his announcement, Hogan said the emergency steps were being taken "to keep our hospitals from overflowing, to keep our kids in school, and to keep Maryland open for business … ."
Shortly after the governor's announcement, Meritus Health issued a health advisory, noting that in four days last week, more than 6,000 people received tests at the health system's drive-thru site. Those tests were returned with positivity rate of almost 35%.
Health system President and CEO Maulik Joshi called the COVID-19 numbers in Washington County "grave" and called on the community to "make informed decisions" regarding the virus that had killed at least 471 people in the county as of Wednesday.
“We are attacking this on all the fronts we can,” Joshi said. “We need our neighbors to be our allies in this fight … .”
Washington County's COVID-19 positivity rate — the rate at which the total number of tests taken locally return positive — was at 25.64% on Tuesday. That's down slightly from the record 28.65% set on New Year's Day, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Creativity, innovation, passion
During the pandemic that has claimed more than 828,000 Americans, WCPS closed schools starting in March 2020 through the end of that school year.
It brought students back in fits and starts throughout the 2020-21 year, opting for virtual instruction, but that also brought about complaints from parents, students and others that in-person learning was needed.
Students have been in school during the 2021-22 year so far, albeit with masks and other precautions.
At the school board meeting Tuesday, Michael noted that he had been in six schools throughout the district since the return from Christmas break.
"I want to thank staff for their creativity, their innovation, their passion for overcoming the pandemic," he said.
He said teachers and staff told him they recognized the challenges brought by the pandemic, but that they also said they wanted to keep WCPS's more than 22,000 students learning in person.
"So to the very best of our ability, that's our plan here in Washington County," he said. "As we move forward we're committed to in-person instruction and we'll do that to the very best of our ability."
Gina McCracken of Smithsburg said she's "happy" her son Mason, a fourth-grader at Smithsburg Elementary School, will remain at school for in-person learning.
"The school board seems to be taking all the necessary actions to try to keep the schools sanitized and the kids healthy," she said. "These kids learn better in school."
But Sarah Watson of Sharpsburg, who has a daughter in the second grade at Sharpsburg Elementary, favors going back to virtual learning.
"I would prefer virtual learning due to the surge in the virus," she said.
What should parents and students expect?
A newsletter was sent out to parents Tuesday night informing them that in-person learning will continue.
"Growing research indicates the value of in-person instruction in meeting the academic, social-emotional, and basic needs of students," the newsletter states. "WCPS began the school year with the goal of maintaining in-person instruction while providing a safe learning environment. That continues to be our top priority."
However, the school system will make needed adjustments and decisions as the pandemic continues.
"This may result in a variety of changes, such as staff covering for other staff, combining classes, canceling events, or delaying or canceling bus routes," the newsletter states. "We ask everyone in our learning community to be flexible and patient if adjustments are necessary."
The newsletter also states that WCPS has been and will continue to use a variety of methods to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
They include:
Universal masking: WCPS follows the State’s emergency regulation requiring all individuals to wear face coverings over the mouth and nose inside all school buildings.
Testing in schools: Students or staff who become sick with symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day can be tested at school sites. Students will need parent consent, and individuals should not come to school for the purpose of getting tested.
Enhanced cleaning protocols: Staff will continue to clean and disinfect classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning solutions. Each classroom has air purifiers that clean and disinfect circulated air.
Physical distancing: Space between students is maximized to the greatest extent possible.
Encouraging healthy habits: All schools are equipped with a supply of hand soap and hand sanitizer, which is available in multiple locations. Students are encouraged to wash their hands throughout the day. Students and staff who are sick should stay home.
Sherry Greenfield is the Education Reporter, covering Washington County Public Schools and the Washington County Board of Education. Follow Sherry on Twitter at Sheina2018 or Instagram at beckmangreenfield.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County schools aims to stay in-person amid COVID surge
