Stay Connected . School boards are required by state law to enact the policies for the 2021-22. McClintock said they hope to get the cameras within the next month. 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. Wayne District representative Tim Swortzel made the motion to make face-coverings optional and North River representative Nicholas Collins seconded. Need a COVID-19 test? About 50 people attended the Augusta County School . Click here for "Masks and Safety Protocols" . My biggest concern is, I would never go into your home and tell you whats best for your child, McCormick said. Please subscribe to continue reading 0 Comments Get local news delivered to your inbox! AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. Find Augusta County, Virginia public schools, including charter schools, k-12, elementary, middle, and high schools. The Augusta County School Board voted 5-1 during its annual retreat Thursday to set the date when students and staff can take off their masks, with parameters in place that allow the board members to change its mind if cases persist or legal objections strike down Gov. 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. Over the summer, our children have been maskless, Welcher said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Already registered? The district had held. Under the protocol,masks arerequired for allstudents, staff andvisitors to all school districtfacilities and onbuses,regardless of vaccination status. EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The decision for Columbia County schools to require masks comes after the district says it has at least 1,000 people at home quarantining, and 296 more students who. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The rise in COVID cases is also a concern for our local school districts. Teacher at Dixon Preschool Center Augusta County Public Schools 4.2 All rights reserved. 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. Parent Portal Student registration DOCUMENTS PERSONNEL Acceptable use policy STAFF Portal bGMS construction update RMS Construction Update Im not real sure how well they work to begin with, Dana Worley, her mom, said. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. The CDC released this map of the country, which says how your city or county is doing as far as COVID-19 transmission. Masks may be removed during lunch and while outside. Tomorrow marks one week until Columbia County and some Richmond County students start the new year. Its why the news isnt sitting well with him and others. Shenandoah Valley Center for Advanced Learning, Valley Career & Technical Center49 Hornet RoadFishersville, VA 22939Phone: (540) 245-5002Fax: (540) 885-0407info@valleytech.us. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Lawrence County School District: Full mask requirement: Sloan-Hendrix School District: . The letter continued, we know masking works and applauded children for their efforts in masking in the past school year. 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. Regardless of vaccination status, the Augusta Public Schools will require masks for people entering its buildings next school year. We are excited to begin the school year but have some updates and reminders to help prepare our students as they return next week. Starting Thursday, masks will be required for students, staff, and visitors to all district facilities and buses, regardless of vaccination status. Accommodations will be made for students and employees unable to wear a mask for documented medical reasons. The biggest questions will be at middle schools, where some students can get the shot and others cant. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal masking in schools at every grade level. 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. By Jessica Mallow. Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education and sports reporter. Following the publics comments, board member Donna Wells stated that the board learned just this afternoon that Senate Bill 1303 passed earlier this year requires schools to follow CDC recommendations, which recommends masks for teachers, students and staff inside. At their meeting. 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. The parents of any child enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or a school based early childcare and educational program may elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the childs school or educational program. Riverheads High School 19 Howardsville Road Staunton, VA 24401 Phone: (540) 337-1921 Fax: (540) 337-0258. Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app. Anastasio also said the DOE will require schools to report teacher vaccination status, which will be done anonymously and through a survey. 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. The school board met Thursday night to discuss their back-to-school. 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. Success. Richmond County students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. Board member John Ward said they do not want to expose faculty to liability and said hopefully they will see low numbers throughout the start of the school year. 13 Virginia tops Clemson, snaps losing streak and clinches ACC tournament double-bye, On 'emotional' day, female wrestlers finally get to compete for their own Virginia state title, Former Virginia basketball coach Terry Holland dies after battling Alzheimer's, Buffalo Gap girls basketball team knocks off Rappahannock to reach semis, Augusta County School Board votes against transgender policies, Alaskas Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start, Dogs, mushers prep for Iditarod as PETA accuses racers of animal abuse, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else. 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 availability of onsite testing will be of particular help since testing appointments at area providers have been backed up and there are shortages of at-home, rapid tests available for purchase. About 50 people attended the Augusta. Subscribe to usat newsleader.com. Ensure that the phone number is not blocked in phone settings. How to order free testing kits from the government, Augusta schools' 1:1 tech rollout under way, benefiting students who have gone without, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. But the Virginia Department of Health is not making any masking decisions yet. The CDC recommends those with COVID-19 should isolate for five days and, if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving, then wear a mask for fivedays when around others. The superintendent is great, the principal was wonderful. Becoming a Foster Parent Become a foster parent to a child in need. He shared the letter from the pediatricians at the board meeting. You have permission to edit this article. Learn more. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. Glenn Youngkin's executive order on masks in schools. Click here for "Masks and Safety Protocols". Waynesboro Public Schools followed the VDHs guidance and voted earlier this week to mandate masks for elementary students and staff. But she also says this guidance makes sense because of the more transmissible Delta variant. [CDATA[ Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Timothy Simmons, who represents the Pastures District, said he is in favor of making masks optional. Its still a big health problem, she said. Im asking for a choice for a virtual option during this surge. The numbers have fluctuated within the school division. Based on current conditions, this is what we need to do to make that happen. Fourteen people spoke out against the mandates, citing their fear of heath issues they believe could be caused by masks. . To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Do you have a story idea? Only two people spoke out in favor of masks. 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. If you want to wear one, I dont see a problem with that. The school board voted unanimously Aug. 9 to allow the district to change . She asked if it was considered by administration to have a mask mandate for the younger students and recommended for the older students. 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. Masks will be required for anyone inside Charleston County schools until Oct. 15, 2021. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta County students will head to school on Tuesday, August 10 wearing masks. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. 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. Even though mask mandates will not be enforced inside school, masks will still be required on school buses, as well as for staff members and adults inside the school building. Between Dec. 4 and 18, Georgia reported just under 20,000new cases, and most of the state's map was a light-yellow. 1:30 PM Community Policy Management Team. The Augusta Public Schools will have in-person learning, five days a week. Still, theres no doubt this will make for some challenging school environments. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Glenn Youngkin's executive order that made their decision possible. The Columbia County Board of Education will be withdrawing its requirements for students and faculty to wear face-coverings beginning Sept. 29. I believe in Jesus Christ. Starting on Jan. 24, Highland County Public Schools says masks will be recommended to protect students and staff amid a high number of COVID-19 cases in the county. Kortney joined the 10 News team as a Lynchburg Bureau Reporter in May 2021. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ndsTchhICxLNjF_dxI18aRlyWnQfS.IeNB3Ql0MS2hM-1800-0"}; But othersincluding her momhave a different opinion. 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. 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. Masks are still required on buses per federal law. Copyright 2021 WVIR. Harrisonburg man charged with crimes connected to Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. nations top public health agency says vaccinated teachers and students can ditch the mask. That guidance comes as cases are rising virtually everywhere across the country -- including in the Charlottesville area. While Aiken County has lifted mandatory mask mandates inside its schools, Richmond County says for now it won't be changing any of its mask or social distancing guidelines. The Allegan County Health Department is requiring masks in schools from kindergarten to sixth grade. About 50 people attended the Augusta County School Board meeting Thursday night.