Heritage Pharma plans to start testing Monday, Jan. 24, and families are asked to stay tuned for more details. Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education and sports reporter. We reached out to school leaders all over the region. //]]> 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. 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. ", 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). He shared the letter from the pediatricians at the board meeting. Tomorrow marks one week until Columbia County and some Richmond County students start the new year. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Augusta County Public Schools is set to become mask-optional in three weeks. Washtenaw County schools opt to keep masks on 'until further notice' . Some in Augusta County oppose school mask mandates as COVID-19 cases surge. Get up to 20% off. With this vote, students and staff must still wear masks while in school until Feb. 14. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta County students will head to school on Tuesday, August 10 wearing masks. 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. Between Dec. 4 and 18, Georgia reported just under 20,000new cases, and most of the state's map was a light-yellow. Need a COVID-19 test? 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. There is [sic] three reasons why COVID cases are going up. Subscribe to usat newsleader.com. All say theyre waiting for additional guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Health and Governor Ralph Northam. Verify your phone numbers and contact preferences are correct in Campus Parent > User > Settings > Contact Preferences. 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. Augusta County residents lead busy lives. As we learn more, I am comfortable with yes. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. All students, staff and volunteers in county schools will wear masks to begin the school year. AUGUSTA The Augusta Public Schools will require students, staff and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status next school year. Below you will find several links to helpful resources for our residents. "We'll revisit it. Photo by Atoms on Unsplash. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. 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. Kortney joined the 10 News team as a Lynchburg Bureau Reporter in May 2021. Staunton and Waynesboro schools will continue requiring masks for all students and staff. Augusta County School Boards motion on Wednesday includes flexibility to alter its plans if case numbers change. Get notified when the ePaper has been delivered (requires subscription), Augusta Public Schools to enforce mask wearing for all students, staff, visitors, Augusta Public School Board pursues pool testing for reducing pandemic requirements. 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. The CDC released this map of the country, which says how your city or county is doing as far as COVID-19 transmission. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases surge within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask mandates. 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. Vaccinated teachers and students don't have to wear masks inside school buildings. Masks have been and continue to be required on all Georgia school buses. 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. While the nation's top public health agency says vaccinated teachers and students can ditch the mask, some. The school district will not have to pay for them so long as theysign an agreement to keep the cameras up for five years. 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. Northam's K-12 mask mandate, and we will continue to make decisions that prioritize the health, safety . Augusta County Public Schools. We do not appreciate it. The superintendent is great, the principal was wonderful. That's why we try our best to make it easy to live in this beautiful place we call home. 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. Augusta County residents fill Wilson Memorial High School's auditorium on Wednesdaynight for a school board meeting where transgender policies and a mask mandate were voted on. Glenn Youngkin's executive order making masks optional or "any changing negative trends related to our local area health concerns.". They have thrived and remained healthy.. AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Richmond County Board of Education met Tuesday night to get a COVID update from the superintendent. The Augusta Board of Education voted. It was heated at times - like when people called board members cowards for wearing masks and forcing students to wear them. Send us your news tip here. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. The 2015 election was the last election for all seven seats to appear on the ballot at the same time. Simply, we just want our students back everyday and back safely. 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. Masks are still required on buses per federal law. 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.. Staunton and Waynesboro schools will continue requiring masks for all students and staff. Accommodations will be made for students and employees unable to wear a mask for documented medical reasons. https://www.augusta.k12.va.us Augusta County Schools will become mask-optional in three weeks. 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. The school board also voted to follow the contact tracing guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health. Do you all understand that? Otherwise, a 14-day quarantine will be required. on March 2.Read more about the C.D . Schools, including in Waynesboro and Augusta County, have the freedom to "implement local mask policies." Waynesboro school board members will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Waynesboro High School and are expected to tackle the state's guidelines when discussing the city's reopening plan. Sign in or Subscribe Copyright 2021 WVIR. Timothy Simmons will take a seat on the Augusta County School Board in January. 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. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. The school board met Thursday night to discuss their back-to-school. 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 Augusta County School Board held a special session on July 29th to discuss what turned out to be two issues. 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 . Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Plenty of Augusta-area locations offer them, At-home COVID test website launches early. Harrisonburg man charged with crimes connected to Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. Students will be permitted to remove masks during lunch and while outside. This is a political scam to see who is going to sit down and shut up, Riverheads student Joshua Cox said . Masks will be required for anyone inside Charleston County schools until Oct. 15, 2021. . Story ideas and tips always welcome. The Allegan County Health Department is requiring masks in schools from kindergarten to sixth grade. The superintendent also reminded families that student assessments, such as Georgia Milestones, will count toward student promotion. 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. 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 . Augusta County is still considered to be a community with a high transmission level, with the VDH reporting a 36.4% positivity level in its most recent update. This huge statewide spike, and the 29schools that were shifted to distance learning in Richmond County, led to the school board's reaffirming its mask mandate Tuesday. Copyright 2023 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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 letter continued, we know masking works and applauded children for their efforts in masking in the past school year. The Augusta County, VA is not responsible for the content of external sites. Hope everyone is doing well. 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. Columbia County . 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. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) - "It's just not right to have them mandate it," said 8th grader Jonathan Vasquez. In rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variants after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others, she said. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Other board members shared their reasoning for voting in favor of the mask mandate. That rose to 206 the following week, but dropped back to 167 the week of Jan. 31. Weve been saying all along students should be in school and shouldnt be tied to masks, said Conservative Parents of Lynchburg Founder Andrew Glover. Anastasio also said the DOE will require schools to report teacher vaccination status, which will be done anonymously and through a survey. "In light of those considerations, the practice is to allowconsistencyin how students and staff are treated with respect to mitigation measures.". 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. Augusta County Public Schools18 Government Center LaneVerona, VA 24482Phone: 540-245-5100Fax: 540-245-5115. McCormick wondered about a remote option for families if they preferred their child not go into school for safety or medical reasons, but Anastasio said there is no plan since the CDC strongly recommends we have students in school. He said school officials may work with some families if there is a medial reason, but the district does not have the resources and staffing to offer a full remote option as it did last school year. Timothy Simmons, who represents the Pastures District, said he is in favor of making masks optional. The Augusta Public Schools will have in-person learning, five days a week. 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. The CDC also hasnt said how teachers can know which students are vaccinated or how parents will know which teachers are immunized. The district had held. Tuesday Columbia County school leaders made their decision on the mask mandate. Thank you for visiting the Augusta County, VA. You will be redirected to the destination page below in 0 seconds. 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. Waynesboro Public Schools followed the VDHs guidance and voted earlier this week to mandate masks for elementary students and staff. His first item of focus is the rights of parents. Administrators say theyre hearing the same from other parents. 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. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Virginia (WVIR) - As COVID-19 cases rise within Augusta County Schools, many people continue to speak out against mask requirements. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Augusta county school board members say they were blind-sided by news out of Richmond over masks in the classrooms. 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. Reading Specialist (Former Employee) - Verona, VA - August 12, 2020.