Is your county's school reopening a mess like mine?

[LoveSpringsteen]

It's been a hot mess with our school re-opening. We re-opened last Wednesday, 8/18, with masks "optional, but highly recommended". In the 4 school days ending Monday, 8/23, there have been 25 positive COVID cases and over 80 students/faculty quarantined. At the end of the day Monday, the superintendent mandated masks for all students and staff, regardless of their vaccine status, effective the following day. There is a large, vocal group of parents questioning the effectiveness of masks and completing exemption forms that are for a medical or religious reasons so that their child does not wear a mask at school. I am not sure what the future will hold, but they can't keep operating the schools with so many students and staff quarantined, due to the fact that the children aren't wearing masks. It's really disheartening.

 

[GAN]

Orange County (FL) finally decided to require masks with a medical opt out option. Although nothing's perfect it's definitely a start. One of the counties north of here has a mask requirement and there was an article in their paper that said that half of the medical opt outs in the county all came from the same dr

Interesting ....I thought mask mandates were forbidden in FL?

 

[DeeBee3]

I think all of these responses highlight how each County has different rules and standards. In NY, which I would say is very strict (we did not have full-time in-person schooling until March 2021), they offer a detailed protocol for contact tracing and isolation in school, etc. It is all based on our County DOH.

"Below are our parameters for contact tracing and identifyingclose contacts as they relate tospecific areas of the school buildings:●Cafeteria: Students and staff in the cafeteria witha positive case within the 48-hour lookback window are quarantined if they fall under thedefinition of a close contact (within 6feet for more than 15 minutes).●Bus/Vehicle: Students and staff on the bus with apositive case within the 48-hour lookback window are quarantined if they fall under thedefinition of a close contact (within 3feet for bus rides over 15 minutes).●Classrooms: Students and staff in classrooms witha positive case within the 48-hourlook back window are quarantined if they fall underthe definition of a close contact(within 3 feet for more than 15 minutes). This willrequire us to contact staff tounderstand the context of the classroom experience"

 

[sweetpeama]

In my area masks are up to each individual school district if they are required or recommended but optional. There are a lot of parents including a number who have kids attending private schools up in arms because one of the largest districts at the last minute changed from masks recommended to required after a number of cases involving members of a sports team at one particular school in the district.
Last year that particular district had the option of virtual school for those who did not want to or who could not wear a mask for whatever reason but that option is not available this year.
It will be interesting to see how many more families we will have inquiring about homeschooling this year along with the number of families who had planned to just homeschool last year and then have their kids go back to public school for this year stay with homeschooling because of this.
We had a small number of schools start the week of August 16, the majority started the week of August 23 and the last few have a start date of the week of August 30.
Personally I think that while the number of families who pull and start homeschooling within the first 30 days of school starting will be higher than in prepandemic school years it won't be as high as it was last year.

 

[unrequited23]

I have two elementary age kids. Masks are recommended but not required. Our first day of school was Monday. The kids reported that about half of their classmates wore masks in class and most put them on in the hallways. My fourth-grader said all 3 of his teachers (they switch classes this year) did not wear masks in class only in the hallways. Did I miss the memo on the only in the hallway thing? I don't get the logic.

We've been closed due to heat the past two days.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Interesting ....I thought mask mandates were forbidden in FL?

Several school districts are ignoring DeSantis.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alison...ng-desantis-mask-mandate-ban/?sh=3fbf2f1328fe

 

[GAN]

Several school districts are ignoring DeSantis.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alison...ng-desantis-mask-mandate-ban/?sh=3fbf2f1328fe

Yes ...I did hear that. Just didn't think Orange would have been one of them given his strength there. The push back from the State seems to be fading with more districts ignoring the mandate ...I haven't heard very much recently -then again, I don't watch much news

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

In my area masks are up to each individual school district if they are required or recommended but optional. There are a lot of parents including a number who have kids attending private schools up in arms because one of the largest districts at the last minute changed from masks recommended to required after a number of cases involving members of a sports team at one particular school in the district.

When your kid gets sick, it's a tough break. He just misses school for a month. Nothing to worry about. When the quarterback gets sick, it's a crisis of epic proportions. We're talking possible league championship ramifications!!!!

 

[wenrob]

Our school requires 100% mask compliance so no issues here. Im so glad Im not in a district where parents are picketing against one another on the school lawns.

Pretty much this. Masks required and as far as I know there hasn’t been any pushback. They have seating charts so that you can be notified if your child was a close contact. You’re notified if there’s a case in the school (got one the first week and one last) but unless you’re personally contacted by Senior staff at the school or the Health District your child isn’t considered at risk. Not perfect of course since they’re going from class to class and have mixed lunches but they’re putting in the effort to make it as safe as they can. I’ve been there twice and there’s masks and hand sanitizer at every door and students seem to have no issues complying. The kids are used to rules at school, this is the same to them as not wearing ripped jeans or flip flops. People getting twisted about it are building it into something that just isn’t there.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I'm in MA, in a densely populated, small suburb. I have a Jr and an incoming Freshman in HS and we start next week. I don't think it will be a mess and there seems to be a plan, and it would be tough to be worse than last year, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

As other MA posters have mentioned, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Ed has issued a mask mandate in k-12 until 10/1, and then districts can re-assess based on vaccination rates (and maybe community spread, I would imagine). According to the Boston Globe (via MA DOH), 92% of kids 16-19 and 85% of kids 12-15 in my town are vaccinated (including my kids). That seems high to me and it's not on the town website, which has a slightly lower overall rate for the town, but that number is not broken down by age so I'm not sure. Either way, it's fairly high. Hopefully the high vaccination rates with the older kids will help protect kids and staff that are unable to get vaccinated.

Last year, the school website had a covid dashboard. We had a lot of outbreaks and school disruption, so I'm hoping they have that again as it was helpful in keeping tabs on things. A lot of outbreaks were worsened by people not complying with mitigation strategies - mostly not quarantining, although some people refused to cooperate with contact tracing as well. I imagine the school with continue with contact tracing efforts, but they haven't communicated anything regarding that. At the end of last year, students could choose to submit their vaccination information so that they could avoid quarantine if there was a close contact identified (unless symptomatic). I'm hoping that continues, although that may depend on how things go with this variant and community spread. I am bewildered when I read about districts that don't have any basic mitigation policies in place and I really feel for teachers and families.

A few weeks back, the district had said masks would be optional for high school students. I am disheartened that conditions have changed to warrant the change in policy, but I understand it and I think it makes sense to start more restrictive and then re-assess. I don't seem to have the crushing anxiety that I had last year, more of a simmering resentment, but trying to work through that as I find it counterproductive. Hoping things go as smoothly as possible for everybody

 

[trvlgirlmq]

It's a cluster in Tennessee. We have districts with so many kids and teachers out that they are using weather days to close. Hope we don't get snow! Our governor has passed some law that says no remote school and if a district passes a mask mandate parents can opt their kids out (see how he did that?).

 

[limitdis]

When the quarterback gets sick, it's a crisis of epic proportions. We're talking possible league championship ramifications!!!!

lol...I agree. I never understood that. In the Houston area most of these high schools build extremely expensive multimillion dollar stadiums for their schools. But I'm thinking there's no way the high school football games are coming anywhere close to making the 20-30 million dollars to pay for that. I assume we're losing massive money on high school football stadiums. So, why the priority for sports over other academics and activities?

 

[Music City Mama]

It's a cluster in Tennessee. We have districts with so many kids and teachers out that they are using weather days to close. Hope we don't get snow! Our governor has passed some law that says no remote school and if a district passes a mask mandate parents can opt their kids out (see how he did that?).

It's absolutely nuts, isn't it?

 

[Mango7100]

There are very minimal (if any) covid protocols. No masks, no quarantines, effectively no contact tracing (if you get a call a week later, it’s too late), no enhanced cleaning (they claim they are, but reports say that there isn’t unless the teachers themselves are doing it). Parents are forming their own contact tracing groups and sharing if their kids are out sick.

Husband has had three teachers in his department alone at his school test positive since they started up. He’s heard of other teachers testing positive, but no info is shared by the school. Two of his students for sure are positive confirmed by the parents, two out on quarantine (parent elected, not required by the school), another five that are currently out for an extended time with no reason given...

The school is publishing district numbers, but we know the numbers given out are flat out wrong. They claim two staff are active cases. Absolute BS, unless out of t

It's a cluster in Tennessee. We have districts with so many kids and teachers out that they are using weather days to close. Hope we don't get snow! Our governor has passed some law that says no remote school and if a district passes a mask mandate parents can opt their kids out (see how he did that?).

TN here too and it is a cluster. Our county is not even contact tracing or quaratining. They will send an email if there is a case in the school, but schools have 2000+ kids so without telling grade or class it’s pretty useless. Parents have formed FB groups to notify other families and contact trace. My kid is in private school where they are at least tracing and quarantining, but they have already said they will follow the governors opt out order for masks (even though as private schools they don’t have to follow it). It’s just sad

 

[sweetpeama]

lol...I agree. I never understood that. In the Houston area most of these high schools build extremely expensive multimillion dollar stadiums for their schools. But I'm thinking there's no way the high school football games are coming anywhere close to making the 20-30 million dollars to pay for that. I assume we're losing massive money on high school football stadiums. So, why the priority for sports over other academics and activities?

They are redoing the fairgrounds in my area including removing buildings that were built in the 1930s and 40s that are unsafe for use. The uproar from the largest district when the plan of having a multi use stadium that would be used exclusively by the largest district in the area never mind that there are 4 other schools who have football programs as well who the parents pay taxes that go to support the fairgrounds who would not be able to have a brand new stadium was horrendous. About as much as the why can't I as a person just going to the fair park down in x area and why should the exhibitors who have animals park there-never mind that those exhibitors are hauling in feed almost daily for their animals because there is no place to store a couple days much less a weeks worth of feed. (Those people would not have enjoyed it for part of this year as we got a much needed rain that left everything in mud pits and water puddles that were deep enough if you stepped in them you had water coming in the top of your shoes but oh they wanted it paved for them not how the exhibitors have to put up with it).

 

[HeatherC]

I just don’t understand why schools like those in TN won’t let them go remote for a couple weeks instead of using snow days. After last year, we should be ready to pivot more easily. Seems like we have really learned nothing and, unfortunately, the kids and teachers are bearing the brunt of it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just don’t understand why schools like those in TN won’t let them go remote for a couple weeks instead of using snow days. After last year, we should be ready to pivot more easily. Seems like we have really learned nothing and, unfortunately, the kids and teachers are bearing the brunt of it.

I think the issue is many schools didn't end up being able to do remote well, they were shoehorned into the position last year. And if you look at going remote for a couple of weeks consider how difficult that may be for parents and guardians with jobs. A lot of schools already expressed they just didn't want to do remote or hybrid this year. The school district my house is in created their own online school for this school year and another one hooked up with an established online academy.

If your school ended up having a lot of students struggle learning I think that also counts for something after all learning is the point of going to school is it not?

Clearly it's not ideal to use snow days for every time this happens but it may be the better option of the two.

 

[Frwinkley]

Isn't the goal to get every child back in school in person 5 days a week? Isn't that what everyone (parents, teachers, politicians, doctors) have said is best for kids? Study after study, poll after poll, expert after expert agree this is what is best for kids. People were ranting that schools closed in March of 2020. Yet these same people, including many parents and politicians are not taking the actions necessary to guarantee in person education happens. It is mind-numbing to think that the solution is as simple as wearing a mask.

 

[Kestryl]

I just don’t understand why schools like those in TN won’t let them go remote for a couple weeks instead of using snow days. After last year, we should be ready to pivot more easily. Seems like we have really learned nothing and, unfortunately, the kids and teachers are bearing the brunt of it.

I think the issue is many schools didn't end up being able to do remote well, they were shoehorned into the position last year. And if you look at going remote for a couple of weeks consider how difficult that may be for parents and guardians with jobs. A lot of schools already expressed they just didn't want to do remote or hybrid this year. The school district my house is in created their own online school for this school year and another one hooked up with an established online academy.

If your school ended up having a lot of students struggle learning I think that also counts for something after all learning is the point of going to school is it not?

Clearly it's not ideal to use snow days for every time this happens but it may be the better option of the two.

In Tennessee’s case, the current rules are that any virtual days won’t count towards the minimum number of days required for the school year. Our district has 10 “snow” days. Right now, if they had to close due to covid, they have to use those snow days. Virtual replacement is not an allowed option by the state.

Which means if they go over their snow days, they’ll be canceling breaks and/or extending the school year. Pre-covid, the district would easily hit 8/9/10 days for calling off for ice, flooding, and- surprise!- the flu. Yeah, before covid, this district would close because sickness was widespread... and this wasn’t a one-off. This was every year. For multiple days each year.

So yeah. Wouldn’t be surprised if the school year got extended this year.

 

[DeeBee3]

As a NYer, our version of virtual schooling was awful and literally a joke, education-wise. It boiled down to 2 days of virtual learning, 1 day "on your own" and then the kids went in 2 days a week. This was for elementary kids and the virtual days were not a full day. She was usually "done" by noon. Finally we had full-time in school at end of March 2021 as I mentioned previously.

I would not want her to go back to virtual learning. Since I am home with the kids, I was able to supplement what she was missing, but I worried all the time about the kids who did not have that benefit.

Not to mention, our school district is large and they gave us the covid stats continuously. School-related spread was less than 0.5%. It was all community spread.

I guess I'm just saying - be careful what you wish for. I know other districts had very different virtual experiences, but ours was a waste of time. I have a background in education so I was able to help my daughter, but I would think most people are not in that line of work or in the position to stay home from work.