Without any doubt, I know without the protections we currently have in place, we would have already closed many schools in our system, if not all. Additional resources from DHS are included below: DHS will again offer COVID-19 testing through schools for students, teachers and staff for the 2022-2023 school year. From cities to rural towns, stay informed on where COVID-19 is spreading to understand how it could affect families, commerce, and travel. School officials say less than 1% of the entire county student population is out under COVID-19 absence protocols. There should be no other option but to support educators in all possible ways since they are on the frontlines going above and beyond to ensure student success during these dangerous times, said Amy Marlowe, the AEAs executive director. For COVID-19 outbreaks use the following definition: 10% absenteeism across the entire school due to COVID-19. This is why CDC recommends mask use for 10 days, even with shortened isolation or quarantine. I believe school boards will be looking at myriad ways to support and show appreciation for teachers who continue to teach class while also providing instruction for students needing to isolate and quarantine, said Sally Smith, executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The districts fully virtual option is set up as its own school, so its not open to in-person students quarantining. People can use a test-based strategy to potentially shorten the duration of mask use. Promote proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Baldwin County superintendent extends mask mandate to September 21, possibly into October. My goal is to make sure we can keep schools open, so please help me by working together.. And the countys three main hospitals had their intensive care units filled up last month as the delta variant spread through the Gulf Coast. Other AEA representatives are skeptical that school boards, especially those hesitant over approving the initial round of bonuses when federal CARES Act funds were available for them, will consider another one. School testing gives communities, schools, and families added assurance that schools can open and remain open safely for all students. or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. Without a clear strategy, swaths of students could miss out on chunks of the school year especially if they are repeatedly exposed at a time when many have already fallen behind where they normally would be academically. More Videos Next up in 5 It also didnt hurt that the bonuses were largely financed with federal money through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was approved in March 2020. Students at Magnolia Elementary School in Trussville wear masks as they are greeted by staff and teachers on the first day of school in 2020. Baldwin Countys vaccinations have gone up in recent weeks, but only slightly more than half of the countys overall population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. Going through this process has given me ample opportunity to consider how painful it would be to close your childs school for two weeks, said Tyler. Schools might need to require masking in settings such as classrooms or during activities to protect students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions that increase their risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 in accordance with applicable federal, state, or local laws and policies. Join them to stay in the know with our free weekly newsletter. Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler, in a letter to parents on Thursday, said that COVID-19 numbers have been going in the wrong direction for the districts schools to warrant rescinding a mask mandate policy that was put into place in late July. See. 3. Baldwin County School Board meeting, August 19, 2021 . I will let parents know that before we make any decisions.. The increase also included a 1.5% pay raise for school employees. All rights reserved (About Us). Michigan's Covid-19 hospitalizations now exceed 1,100 inpatients, and new infection numbers have been climbing for a month. The emergency leave policy will expire June 30, 2022, Hill said. MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. Kids in Baldwin County got an early start for their first day back at school. Well-trained math and science teachers are eligible to receive up to $15,000 in additional pay, if they decide to teach inside schools considered hard-to-staff. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The bonus comes less than one year after full-time employees received a $1,000 in extraordinary compensation ahead of the 2020 Christmas holiday. Back to school 2021: Heres where to find your Alabama school mask, COVID reopening plans, Where Im supposed to be: Black Belt program finds success in rural teacher shortage. The total cost was $275,000, according to Leeds Superintendent John Moore. . The community level of Covid-19 in Baldwin County is low based on cases and hospitalizations, . School boards are looking at ways to boost employee morale. This pages tracks the history of coronavirus cases in Baldwin County, both recent andall-time. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education was updated on May 27, 2022, and can be found on the CDC Website. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If this combination persists as the school year ramps up, quarantining will be common once again. At Autauga County Schools, 36 of the schools staff have received the extended leave since the extra 10 days since school began last month. The following people should be excluded from in-person instruction and activities: Students or staff who come to school or an ECE program with symptoms or develop symptoms while at school or an ECE program should be asked to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator while in the building and be sent home and encouraged to get tested if testing is unavailable at the facility. But superintendent Shari Camhi says teachers wont be working as closely with the quarantining students. No. Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support In-Person Learning, at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19, U.S. Department of Educations Disability Rights webpage, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. A Morning Consult/Politico poll from last month showed nearly all Democrats and a majority of Independents polled support face masks, while a majority of Republicans do not. Ryan Hollingsworth, executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, said the beginning of the school year has been by far, the most challenging for everyone association with education. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) K-12 school page addresses the need for schools, local health departments, and healthcare providers to work together to support the goal of all students returning to school safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Get the answers here, with data on cases and infection rates. In these circumstances, other prevention actions (such as improving ventilation) should be used to avoid transmission for 10 days after exposure. Pointing to that low percentage, the school system today told NBC 15 it doesn't . Use the "Site Feedback" link found at the bottom of every webpage. But officials have yet to say whether unvaccinated students who are exposed will be required to stay home once school starts in September, and what kind of instruction theyll get if they do. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. And to make matters worse, the grace and mercy many practiced in 2020 when the pandemic was new seems to have evaporated.. At Huntsville City Schools, certified employees who complete additional professional development which are held outside of normal work hours, and occurring in three phases during the school year will get up to $1,000 extra compensation. roT;[.+8&H TKil}myeXiLyWXMi"(yJ/oChbR1X?&M 6%VZ.Uf5Gs:G\3s|~{E>L[2s"d1bEF[Qn'Xspsx?=E,GxPVUgh$Y5%MoF:-iwWRm$'wL@Im$G*\E>QeU_o GMn,6dtgFh,BSH{nx;5h4NwR yM()0)LB>2F~z9S@::y|4^ 3gbt{r_e69tOq*tk"8y(.731hzG^!t5=m._ Madison County Schools was even later, passing a $500 bonus in May. The district has a mask-optional policy. Generally, economists will think it has a bigger impact on retention than on recruitment, Goldhaber said. hbbd``b`@`$Xk%",A38 Padgetts school district, Simpson County in Mississippi, where nearly one in five students had to quarantine earlier this month, is one. Soon after, that got extended when Padgett herself tested positive for COVID. Starting Thursday through Sept. 6, students and staff wear a cloth mask over their nose and mouth while indoors at Round Elementary, superintendent Chuck Hughes said in a statement. I am very hopeful this will be enough time (by September 21) but if the numbers have not fallen sufficiently by then, we will continue the mask requirement and revisit the removal again on Fall Break, October 8, Tyler wrote. Having trouble finding what you are looking for? And her kindergartener was given worksheets that asked him to write his name and numbers skills he hasnt learned yet. In states like Mississippi, where case rates are among the highest in the country and many students lack access to home internet and devices, the situation is particularly fraught. If the contact develops symptoms at any time after exposure, the contact should be tested as soon as possible. But others are being sent home with only paper packets or are receiving no instruction at all a worrying indication that many students could face another year of stop-and-start learning. In addition, the same hospital is the site where a refrigerated trailer was placed a little more than a week ago to serve as a makeshift morgue if needed. Cases in Isolation Isolation protocol is required for individuals who test positive for COVID-19. The Baldwin County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, genetics, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. COVID-19 Documents & Resources for Parents. But it will mainly have an impact on the retention of teachers in that district.. I will monitor the spread and make sure we are moderate, Price told the school board. To ensure that ADPH county health departments are providing consistent and up-to-date information to local schools, this page provides resources and forms necessary for reporting. Those one-time bonuses aimed to recognize teachers and staff for work during a difficult time period, which included readjusting schedules and livelihoods for remote work. Dothan City Schools, which is not planning another teacher bonus, voted in June to pay teachers 2.5% above the state minimum. Price shared that the Georgia Department of Public Healths report for the North Central Health District, of which Baldwin County is a part, revealed that the county had been downgraded from substantial to moderate spread based on recent case numbers. Padgett says her children didnt have the option to do lessons online and werent given hotspots or laptops, though other schools in their Mississippi district transitioned to virtual learning. Price pointed to declining case numbers in the community and within the school district itself as key reasons, in addition to the fact that the COVID vaccine has now been made available to children ages 5 and up. I was like: My kids need work! she said. Covid-19 Dashboard BW's total campus population is 4,298 (898 full and part-time faculty and staff, 3,400 full, part-time and evening undergraduate and graduate students). F9*ANM=}i}xpMl9+Xw6O_]q|/|> The district budgeted $6.5 million for the training. which gave out $350 in bonus pay late last year. 232 0 obj <> endobj Ventilation in Schools and Childcare Programs. Theyre really wanting to be in school, she said. South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley was the first in the state to receive assistance from a team of physicians and nurses staffed by the federal government. Orange County, Florida a large district centered around Orlando where a small number of students have already quarantined is taking another common approach: treating quarantines like regular sick days, despite the fact that students might miss longer stretches. 2snU=~"#LBtu_cgK3@_|t[RB.q~h5lnSl^KP@jQA?7PT( >D"On'znFYA)da But while Baldwin County Schools is being praised for the second round of the bonuses, representatives with the Alabama Education Association representing public school employees in Alabama are pushing for the school system to join others in the state in offering up to 10 additional days of extended COVID-19 leave or sick pay. Persons exposed to COVID-19 in a household should be tested 5 days after exposure, even without symptoms. Alabama school boards from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley adopted teacher and staff bonuses last year ahead of Christmas, and billed them as extraordinary compensation or premium pay for work performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. "bCL@#1? Thats a first for the local school system during this 2021-22 school term. Neither are planning to do so right now. I do not like them on our children. Baldwin County Public Schools Uniform Policy 1. Find help with housing, income, food, employment, health care, mental health concerns, safety at home, and morein multiple languages. The audience applauded, and board president JaNae Dawson credited the teachers for going to work every day to keep the schools open., She added, We have many parents, Im sure, who would be scrambling for day care or sitting services for younger children that might conflict with their job.. Many studies and information about hospitalizations indicate that vaccinated and boosted persons are less likely to have severe illness, be hospitalized, and die from COVID-19. Deaths Above Normal The true toll of the pandemic in the U.S. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, said that quarantining should be relatively rare at schools following the CDCs guidance, which also includes universal masking. To ensure our parents, staff and community members are provided with the most recent and accurate information, the Baldwin County School District will publish weekly COVID-19 status reports each Friday. At least one education analyst believes the added compensation can help keep wary teachers from looking elsewhere for full-time work. School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price updated board of education members on where the 4,650-student district stands with the coronavirus during the elected boards monthly meeting held last Tuesday. . Gulf Shores, the only city school system in Baldwin County, is currently offering 10 additional sick days. Some districts are planning a return to simultaneous instruction if necessary. Baldwin Community Schools in Lake County announced on its Facebook page Wednesday that "many students are being quarantined with primarily flu-like symptoms." The district said one student. The school district is funding the extended leave program itself and budgeted $25,000 in additional costs out of the General Fund to maintain the program, according to Michelle Eller, the districts superintendent. Parents, students, educators, and neighbors all benefit from independent education journalism. In many of the conversations I am having with our educators, the absence of additional COVID leave days seem to be the biggest concern they have, said Nichole King, AEA Uniserv director for the district representing Baldwin County and Gulf Shores city schools. COVID-19 is more contagious and deadly than influenza in children. But many schools have reopened without requiring masks, and its not clear how widely this quarantining guidance has trickled down to districts. An August 19 school board meeting allowed both sides of the contentious debate to speak about the pros and cons of having children wearing face masks.