Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.
Macon County Schools didn’t make it to the first day of school before the first staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
Since then, a number of other incidents have caused a stir around the school system, including asymptomatic parents who had tested positive coming into school buildings to meet with teachers.
When the Macon County Board of Education met in emergency session on Aug. 24, the most recent data numbers from Macon County Public Health reported that 151 people throughout the school system were under quarantine, including 102 students and 49 staff members. Those in quarantine have not necessarily tested positive.
Superintendent Chris Baldwin said the school system is doing everything in its power to prevent the spread of coronavirus at schools by enforcing strict social distancing policies, monitoring students and staff for symptoms, and quarantining individuals as needed.
Four schools – Franklin High, Union Academy, Macon Middle and Mountain View Intermediate – are now closed to in-person instruction through Sept. 11 so that at-risk teachers don’t have to return to school. Baldwin also emphasized that the school system has limited abilities to prevent the spread and that their best efforts will still offer no guarantees.
“COVID-19 is a novel virus and can present asymptomatically,” Baldwin said. “The virus also can present with a wide range of symptoms common with allergies and the common cold. The screening process can detect those individuals with ‘new’ symptoms, but it is possible that a person can present symptoms after arriving at school. “
The Macon County Schools community has mixed feelings about the school system’s efforts so far. Denise Shields is a teacher in the virtual academy and a mother of Macon County students who feels that the school system has done everything right up to this point. She said that she has observed their efforts firsthand and feels confident that they are doing the best possible job.
“I’m actually on site, so I’m able to watch a lot of the sanitation measures, and I know how thorough it’s been,” Shields said. “I’ve watched all of the school board meetings, and I know that everything they’re doing is in the interest of keeping our kids safe. I don’t like it, I wish my kids were all in school, but I agree with the decisions that they’ve made 100 percent.”
Others are concerned that the school system hasn’t done enough to ensure everyone’s safety. Those who were skeptical about returning to school at all are even more skeptical after the rapid rise in quarantine numbers.
Dr. Kevin Foley, a local pediatrician and father of Macon County students, worries that the hybrid schedule that most schools are operating on is exacerbating the problem by reducing school control over conditions that students spend most of their time in.
“I’ve been listening to the school board meetings, and I think that they’re saying all the right things, but I just don’t think that the two-day approach is going to work out for everyone,” Foley said.
Kathy McGaha, director of the Macon County Public Health, said that she has been in contact with Macon County Schools several times a day to help them contact trace and set up their preventative guidelines. She thinks that the school system has been very dutiful in enforcing guidelines and cooperating with the appropriate authorities to minimize the impact of every exposure it’s had so far and asks for patience as the entire county government refines its approach.
“They’ve done a tremendous job figuring out six feet of space everywhere,” McGaha said. “They’re making sure that overflow room is available, they’re encouraging everyone to wear a mask. … They’re still figuring out the screening process, but it’s never going to be 100 percent.”
For now, both Macon County Schools and the health department encourage everyone to practice the Three Ws (wear a mask, wait six feet apart and wash your hands) and other common sense preventative measures to protect the entire community.
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve the screening,” Baldwin said.
The Macon County Board of Education will reevaluate the plan for reopening schools on Friday, Aug. 28.