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. : Plenty of Augusta-area locations offer them, More: At-home COVID test website launches early. There is [sic] three reasons why COVID cases are going up. Hope everyone is doing well. McCormick voted against the mandate, saying she believes the decision for students to wear masks should be up to families, not the school administration. It had already been announced that students could go masklessfollowing a vote by the school board in January, but there was some question about whether teachers would still be required to wear masks under requirements fromthe Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the Department of Labor and Industry. 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. About 20 minutes into the school. He said universal masking is recommended in schools by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Maine CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, Department of Education, Maine Education Association, Maine School Management Association, Maine School Superintendent Association, Leadership of Augusta Education Association, and pediatric doctors in Augusta and Winthrop who personally sent Anastasio a letter urging the mandate. The district had held. Login. Kids' face masks with Augusta County Schools designs for a child-friendly fit. 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. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. 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.. McCormick said she wished the discussion about masking would have been at the business meeting instead. As always, we will continue to monitor the situation and communicate any changes to you. 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. 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. That rose to 206 the following week, but dropped back to 167 the week of Jan. 31. 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. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday night. VERONA Augusta County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks for students and staff at least three more weeks. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. Over the summer, our children have been maskless, Welcher said. Augusta County chose to follow Youngkin's executive order, which states in part: Youngkin's order goes into effect Monday, Jan. 24, but Augusta County's School Board wanted to add additional time to see if the current COVID surge in the area will subside. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta county school board members say they were blind-sided by news out of Richmond over masks in the classrooms. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). I feel like everyone should still be wearing masks, vaccinated or not, said Shae Helms, a sophomore at Amherst County High School. Lawrence County School District: Full mask requirement: Sloan-Hendrix School District: . 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. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. You have permission to edit this article. All students, staff and volunteers in county schools will wear masks to begin the school year. The policies say schools should allow students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. If you dont, I dont have a problem with that either.. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) atphite@newsleader.comand follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. "If between now and then things go crazy," Shiflett said. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal masking in schools at every grade level. Get up to 20% off. Subscribe to usat newsleader.com. ", 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. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Kati McCormick was the only board member to vote against the measure. 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. More:A month since Rosenberg was forced out, Staunton City Council hasn't secured search firm, More:Staunton man pleads guilty to a string of burglaries, gets nearly 10 years in prison. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ndsTchhICxLNjF_dxI18aRlyWnQfS.IeNB3Ql0MS2hM-1800-0"}; 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. Copyright 2023 Augusta County Public Schools. You can cancel at any time. Simply, we just want our students back everyday and back safely. We fear if we dont have universal masking, the letter stated, there will be outbreaks warranting school closure.. Heres why. 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. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. The school board met Thursday night to discuss their back-to-school. All rights reserved. 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. "We have to consider how the mask is affecting them emotionally," Simmons said. Heritage Pharma plans to start testing Monday, Jan. 24, and families are asked to stay tuned for more details. With this vote, students and staff must still wear masks while in school until Feb. 14. 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. Were gonna have to step back, go by the law, and prove them wrong, Ward said. Augusta County Public Schools. Walensky says thats not the case now, and vaccines are very effective. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. People are also reading 'Cousin Eddie' display from 'Christmas Vacation' leads to Kentucky police response I think they should still be wearing masks for their safety and everyone elses, said Will Via, a dad from Verona. People are also reading 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. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. Regardless of vaccination status, the Augusta Public Schools will require masks for people entering its buildings next school year. Use the form below to reset your password. 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. Glenn Youngkin's executive order making masks optional or "any changing negative trends related to our local area health concerns.". Add the 10-digit school phone number and the Augusta County Schools district phone number (540-245-5100) to your phone contacts. Between Dec. 4 and 18, Georgia reported just under 20,000new cases, and most of the state's map was a light-yellow. 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. 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. The biggest questions will be at middle schools, where some students can get the shot and others cant. The Augusta County School Board is a seven-member board elected by district to four-year terms. New CDC guidance says some counties in our viewing area meet the threshold to put those face coverings back on. In the meantime, there are many ways for you to get vaccinated in our community. I feel like its the parents decision. Here are a few of them: Blue Ridge Health District vaccination scheduler, Call the BRHD COVID-19 Hotline 434-972-6261. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday evening. 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. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Studentswill be permitted to remove masksduring lunch and while outside. The school district will not have to pay for them so long as theysign an agreement to keep the cameras up for five years. Its equal or worse than in December, and our healthcare workers are drowning, said Tara Mahanes. Click here for "Masks and Safety Protocols" . Verify your phone numbers and contact preferences are correct in Campus Parent > User > Settings > Contact Preferences. 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. Simply, we just want our students back everyday and back safely. I want to work with every one of you. If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1558. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay safe. 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. 5:00 PM Joint Meeting-Augusta County Board of Supervisors and Augusta County . Designed and sold by artists. "These absences from school will be excused and students will be permitted to make up all missed work," the letter said. Her motion died for lack of a second. Face coverings and masks will be optional at Charleston County schools when students return to their classrooms Aug. 18. Northam's K-12 mask mandate, and we will continue to make decisions that prioritize the health, safety . The school board voted unanimously Aug. 9 to allow the district to change . See Offers. Staunton and Waynesboro schools will continue requiring masks for all students and staff. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Augusta County residents lead busy lives. 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. 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. AUGUSTA The Augusta Public Schools will require students, staff and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status next school year. The school division will also follow the CDCs shortened timeline for those who have toisolateorquarantine. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Columbia County . 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. Masks will be required for anyone inside Charleston County schools until Oct. 15, 2021. The CDC released this map of the country, which says how your city or county is doing as far as COVID-19 transmission. @NBC29 pic.twitter.com/L8eS6n0bxz. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. 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 . Waynesboro Public Schools followed the VDHs guidance and voted earlier this week to mandate masks for elementary students and staff. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - The Augusta County School Board voted unanimously Thursday night not to adopt model policies for the treatment of transgender students put forth by the. There were no specific numbersgiven as far as the number of COVID cases that would make the board consider extending the mandatory mask policy, only a very broad explanation by the board's chair. Augusta County Public Schools18 Government Center LaneVerona, VA 24482Phone: 540-245-5100Fax: 540-245-5115. Based on current conditions, this is what we need to do to make that happen. Accommodations will be made for students and employees unable to wear a mask for documented medical reasons. Starting Thursday, masks will be required for students, staff, and visitors to all district facilities and buses, regardless of vaccination status. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School . https://www.augusta.k12.va.us 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. All rights reserved. I anticipated more discussion before we voted.. If your area is orange or red, you should require masks inside. (844) 698-3261 Free Consultation info@ritchielawfirm.com Case Results At their meeting. // Subscribe to usat newsleader.com. 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). AUGUSTA COUNTY, Virginia (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases rise within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask requirements. 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. "We'll revisit it. 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. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) atphite@newsleader.comand follow himon Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Under the protocol,masks arerequired for allstudents, staff andvisitors to all school districtfacilities and onbuses,regardless of vaccination status. Some in Augusta County oppose school mask mandates as COVID-19 cases surge. A month since Rosenberg was forced out, Staunton City Council hasn't secured search firm, Staunton man pleads guilty to a string of burglaries, gets nearly 10 years in prison, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The speakers who opposed the policies voiced concerns about safety issues, parental and privacy rights, and religious freedom. The Columbia County Board of Education will be withdrawing its requirements for students and faculty to wear face-coverings beginning Sept. 29. MORE: Mask Mandates Are Hot Topic at Columbia County School Board Meeting Its why the news isnt sitting well with him and others. Mask Policy AMI Dates; Augusta School District: Full mask requirement: McCrory School District: The letter continued, we know masking works and applauded children for their efforts in masking in the past school year. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. The numbers have fluctuated within the school division. Masks have been and continue to be required on all Georgia school buses. Fourteen people spoke out against the mandates, citing their fear of heath issues they believe could be caused by masks. The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 on Thursday to make masks optional . As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. ", 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). All rights reserved. My biggest concern is, I would never go into your home and tell you whats best for your child, McCormick said. People spoke for and against requiring students to wear masks this fall, as the school board previously stated masks would be optional. Chief Technology OfficerCarolyn McCord provided an update on the school district's 1:1 initiative, PowerUp, which will supply every student with the use of a laptop with internet connectivity. School boards are required by state law to enact the policies for the 2021-22. Augusta County School Boards motion on Wednesday includes flexibility to alter its plans if case numbers change. 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. 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. Photo by Atoms on Unsplash. "Personally, I would like to see the masks gone," Chairperson David Shiflett said, "but now I dont think is the time.. Please subscribe to keep reading. The testing will at first be offered to only employees and students (with parents' permission), but the school district is open to possibly expanding it to the rest of the community. 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. 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. Tuesday Columbia County school leaders made their decision on the mask mandate. Masks will return to Augusta County schools this fall. Create one. Kortney Lockey, Lynchburg Bureau - Multimedia Journalist. The only vote against the motion was fromBeverley Manor representative Donna Wells, who had tried to amend the motion to extend the mandatory mask policy until Feb. 28. Anastasio said the big three in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in schools are universal masking, vaccination when possible and pool testing, which Augusta agreed to take part in at the end of the last school year. Augusta County Public Schools is the organization that operates the public school system in Augusta County, Virginia. In light of Virginia's school mask policy change, we have included a list of school districts and their decisions on masking. More. 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. 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. 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. 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. We are excited to begin the school year but have some updates and reminders to help prepare our students as they return next week. As a further precaution, the superintendent said they are partnering with Heritage Pharma Groupto offer on-site COVID-19 testing with guaranteed results in 24 to 48 hours. 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 . Sign in or Subscribe Still, theres no doubt this will make for some challenging school environments. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate.