Even though Chatham County’sCOVID Community Transmission Rate has spiked into the “red” zone, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School system is remaining committed to its goal of keeping all children in school, in-person, five days a week.
To that end, the SCCPSS school board heard updated departmental reports at its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday. The district is using the layers of mitigation it has in place to keep students and staff safe and the school doors open.
"It's a year later. We're a year stronger and a year smarter," said Ann Levett, district superintendent, noting all the things the district learned in 2020-21 and implemented for 2021-22. "We are prepared to make a pandemic pivot if possible."
230 test COVID positive the first week:Savannah-Chatham County has 1,100 students in quarantine
That pivot includes flipping a classroom to virtual learning if the entire room needs to quarantine andup to an including rolling closures of an entire school, if necessary. The goal is to keep students engaged and learning, virtually if necessary; but preferably in person.
Board members questioned Ramon Ray, district human resources chief, about contact tracing. Ray said the district has a contact tracing team, in addition to contact tracing teams at each school.
“We quickly realized we didn’t have enough staff to do contact tracing. We have nurses assigned to evening and weekend shifts," Ray said. The evening and weekend shifts are to handle possible exposures and contact tracing that may happen after school hours and quickly get those close contacts notified so if a child or staff member is exposed on a Friday night that person does not come to school on Monday possibly being positive and asymptomatic.
'Get vaccinated':Coastal Georgia health directors make united plea as COVID cases rise
Ray said 200 staff at various schools have received training on contact tracing to work alongside the nursing staff. Questionnaires are standardized so each trained contact tracing staff at each site asks the same questions to close contacts.
David Bringman, District 6 representative, attended the meeting via phone. "My child was asymptomatic positive on Wednesday," Bringman said. "If I had known he was positive, I would not have taken him to school."
He described how the district's protocols were put into action. "We picked up a paper packet and a Chromebook so he could continue to learn."
When questioned about a positive COVID case in a family that may affect more than one school, Ray said, "If there is a mother, a father and two children; and either the mother or father test positive, the parents have to quarantine. The children are secondary contact to their classmates. Their classrooms do not have to quarantine."
More:Savannah-Chatham school board to discuss updates to school construction, penny sales tax
As for taking a COVID test, Michael Johnson, District 7 board member, asked Ray about clarification regarding when the test is taken, a negative result is given and when can the students return to school.
"The test is taken on Day 5, and the student can return to school on Day 8 if the test comes back negative," Ray said. "That is the current guideline according to the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]."
A point of clarification had to be made about asking someone's vaccination status. Brian Dennison, associate school board attorney, ran up to the podium to address the issue. ”You are an exception to the normal quarantine process if you are vaccinated," Dennison said. "If you can prove it, that is different [from] asking ‘are you vaccinated?’ It is proper to ask for vaccination status related to quarantine."
More:Savannah-Chatham County educator named Georgia Teacher of the Year
Keeping sick children home when parents have to work was discussed and Joe Buck, board president, asked the community, and specifically employers, for grace.
"We cankeep the schools open only if the kids that are infected are not in school," Buck said. "I know it is very difficult for our moms, grandmas, and aunties to take care of a sick kid. Be helpful to your employees. If they need to stay home, please be understanding about that. I understand about working parents. It is important that an employer who has the wherewithal to help a parent so we can keep the schools open."
Barbara Augsdorfer is the education and nonprofits reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Reach her at BAugsdorfer@gannett.com or on Twitter @Babs7983.
