COVID-19 cases have been spiking all over the state, and unfortunately, Macon County Schools have not been spared.
Between the board of education’s last meeting on Nov. 16 and the meeting on Dec. 14, 206 students were quarantined due to infection concerns, and 30 of them tested positive for the virus. Six more cases were confirmed on Dec. 15 among Macon Middle School, Franklin High, Macon Elementary and Highlands schools, but whether they were among students or staff has not yet been confirmed.
Of the 11 county schools, only Nantahala School went without a single quarantine or positive case. To make matters worse, 19 staff members across the system were under quarantine at the time of the meeting.
High staff quarantine rates have contributed to loss of available staff, which makes it harder to keep schools open. Macon Middle School suspended in-person instruction from Dec. 9 through Dec. 14 due to a lack of staff, and as soon as they came back, Cartoogechaye Elementary School suspended in-person classes for this week for the same reason.
“It was the last thing we wanted to do,” Macon Middle School principal Scot Maslin said of his school’s closure. “When you have subs and teachers having to leave due to illness or contact tracing before the day is half over, and you have no one to put into a classroom, you have to make tough decisions.”
Macon County Public Health director Kathy McGaha spoke at the Dec. 14 meeting. She said that most of the cases her department observes come from outside of the school system, but upticks in positive returns are still highly concerning. The health department will be working closely with the school system to monitor changes in their cases, and the possibility of the schools going all-virtual in the near future hasn’t been ruled out.
“We’ve had 45 positive cases today,” McGaha said. “It’s the most positives that we’ve had in one day. … Our current positivity rate is 9 percent, where a week and a half ago it was at 4.5 percent. We’ve come to the conclusion that we’re going to take this on a day-to-day basis.”
McGaha also encouraged local residents to be responsible in their plans for this holiday season, to wear masks and observe social distance as often as possible to minimize the risk of exacerbating the rise in cases. The board members agreed and urged Macon County families to continue doing their part in preventative measures. Superintendent Chris Baldwin believes that efforts by school faculty and families alike have gone a long way, and he hopes everyone can persevere for a little longer.
“We can get through this pandemic safely and with our children’s future intact if we all continue to work together,” Baldwin said.
The school board will evaluate trends in the community over Christmas break, which begins on Monday, Dec. 21, before making final decisions about how things will work next year.