School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price updated. The district plans to resumein-person learning on Monday, it said in the post. Baldwin County is considered a heavily Republican county in Alabama where all elected officials are members of the GOP. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Quarantine is no longer recommended for people who were in close contact to someone with COVID-19 except in certain high-risk congregate settings (such as correctional facilities). The Baldwin County School System includes 44 schools and over 31,000 students. Many educators said that practice was untenable and ineffective last year. In Baldwin County, a Back-to-School will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Thomas Fitness Center in Fairhope. My goal is to make sure we can keep schools open, so please help me by working together.. hbbd``b`@`$Xk%",A38 Gulf Shores, the only city school system in Baldwin County, is currently offering 10 additional sick days. The downward trend in COVID-19 cases may create a change in the Baldwin County School District's (BCSD) masking policy in the coming weeks. The quarantines meant theattendance rate fell below the required 75% level thestate wouldcount as an instructional day. The school systems mask policy is in place for all children in grades 2 and up. Sanitizing hands before removing masks, prior to putting masks back on, and after putting masks back on are important measures to further reduce any potential transmission of the virus. The downward trend in COVID-19 cases may create a change in the Baldwin County School Districts (BCSD) masking policy in the coming weeks. Among other benefits of the vaccine, having your child vaccinated against COVID-19 reduces the risk of your child developing COVID-19 by 90%. She said she believes school systems should authorize a bonus if funds are available, but added, I feel systems should increase employees salaries instead of offering bonuses.. As we are presently in the (fiscal year) budget review and approval process, it is my hope that we will discuss doing it again in the near future, said Jamie Lake, board member with the Tuscaloosa County School System, which gave out $350 in bonus pay late last year. Shortened isolation requires that all persons, including athletes, continue to consistently and correctly mask for 10 days after onset of symptoms and/or positive test. Get help learning how to manage stress and adapt to change with services and support from organizations across the state. hb``b``: Y8HK~mW`iSP:H330 ag`(26 Baldwin Countys vaccinations have gone up in recent weeks, but only slightly more than half of the countys overall population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. When community levels of COVID 19 are high, CDC and ADPH recommend school-wide masking for all students, teachers, and staff to reduce transmission of COVID-19. How Schools Can Support COVID-19 Vaccination. For more information, please contact the Programs DirectorAngela Sullivan, Ph.D., at covidALK12@uab.edu or visit COVID Testing in Alabama K12 Schools. For at least 10 days after developing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19. 'ZF{e@)vsy=H&k From cities to rural towns, stay informed on where COVID-19 is spreading to understand how it could affect families, commerce, and travel. Get the answers here, with data on cases and infection rates. No one wants to spread illness to others and cause people to be sick. Soon after, that got extended when Padgett herself tested positive for COVID. endstream endobj 236 0 obj <>stream Case numbers there jumped once the fall semester began, but have also settled into the singly digits weekly without a mask mandate in place since classes resumed in August. This school policy has always been subject to a doctor's note which could prescribe more or less time away from. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. But superintendent Shari Camhi says teachers wont be working as closely with the quarantining students. Baldwin County Public Schools Uniform Policy 1. Persons returning from COVID-19 shortened isolation must wear masks for 10 days after the onset of symptoms and/or positive test or last exposure to a case. Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education was updated on May 27, 2022, and can be found on the CDC Website. It also didnt hurt that the bonuses were largely financed with federal money through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was approved in March 2020. Baldwin County is committed to the safety of our residents and visitors. In Selma, Alabama, superintendent Avis Williams said when students are quarantining, teachers will have to teach remote and in-person students at once. Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support In-Person Learning, at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19, U.S. Department of Educations Disability Rights webpage, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Follow the advice of your healthcare provider, as guidance depends on the clinical situation. Language assistance is available. People who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, People who tested positive for COVID-19, with or without having symptoms, and have not yet finished their isolation period per public health recommendations, High-risk activities (for example, close contact sports, band, choir, theater), Key times in the year (for example before/after large events such as prom, tournaments, group travel). The employees continue to do a phenomenal job in implementing new learning environments for their school system, said Superintendent Eddie Tyler, who acknowledged the school system located in Alabamas fastest-growing county is continuing to see a decrease in the number of people who want to work in a part-time capacity, or as a substitute teacher. Promote proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. She said she felt that Baldwin County School leaders were reviewing the logistics of providing the leave to employees. The UAB School of Public Health is currently collaborating with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama State Department of Education to offer voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in Alabama K-12 schools to students, faculty, and staff. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Many are also covering for fellow staff members who have to quarantine and isolate., She added, Teaching is always a challenging job, but dealing with COVID and COVID protocols has made it exponentially harder. The online COVID-19 case report card should only be used to report individual COVID-19 cases. Ventilation in Schools and Childcare Programs. The BCSD COVID-19 Weekly Status Report will summarize the new positive cases each week within the student . NO EXTRA POCKETS 2. Those one-time bonuses aimed to recognize teachers and staff for work during a difficult time period, which included readjusting schedules and livelihoods for remote work. It is important to reduce the risk of children developing communicable diseases, including influenza and COVID-19, as previously healthy children can become very ill, require hospitalizations, and die from both these illnesses. That bonus was financed largely through the CARES Act. Keep in mind that immunosuppressed persons may shed virus longer and should follow longer isolation. endstream endobj 237 0 obj <>stream In addition, full-time school employees are getting a $1,000 annual retention incentive that will be paid out in semi-annual installments at the end of December 2022 and 2023. And her kindergartener was given worksheets that asked him to write his name and numbers skills he hasnt learned yet. Without a clear strategy, swaths of students could miss out on chunks of the school year especially if they are repeatedly exposed at a time when many have already fallen behind where they normally would be academically. If persons exposed to COVID-19 in a household become symptomatic, they should be tested as soon as practical. We're offering a great rate on digital subscriptions. Price shared that the Georgia Department of Public Healths report for the North Central Health District, of which Baldwin County is a part, revealed that the county had been downgraded from substantial to moderate spread based on recent case numbers. See. The state asks schools to report COVID cases on Tuesdays. We could have closed a few schools. The bonus comes less than one year after full-time employees received a $1,000 in extraordinary compensation ahead of the 2020 Christmas holiday. Students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions or disabilities that increase risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 should not be placed into separate classrooms or otherwise segregated from other students. School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price updated board of education members on where the 4,650-student district stands with the coronavirus during the elected boards monthly meeting held last Tuesday. COVID-19 is more contagious and deadly than influenza in children. Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. If we increase and go back to substantial, then the masks will come back on. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. In Baldwin Union schools on Long Island, New York, middle and high school students at home will be able to stream lessons online. The school decisions come as 72 of Michigan's counties are at a high transmission level for Covid-19, which means that most residents are urged under federal guidelines to wear masks in public, according tothe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High 76F. Encourage everyone to stay up to date on vaccinations. Then we got into the delta, and thats affected our staffing and our children. In Floridas Hillsborough County, some 5,600 students or about 2.5% of the student body were in quarantine or isolation as of Monday. When persons who have had COVID-19 return to school after 5 days of isolation, they should still wear well-fitting masks and keep their hands clean. Schools might need to require masking in settings such as classrooms or during activities to protect students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions that increase their risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 in accordance with applicable federal, state, or local laws and policies. Contacts should monitor for symptoms, be tested on day 5 after exposure, even without symptoms, and wear their masks when out in public for 10 days after exposure. Through Wednesday, 65.3% of Michigan residents age 16 or older had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to the state health department. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. If contact with the infected person cannot be broken (separate bedroom, living quarters, bathroom, consistent and correct mask wearing), contacts should consider their exposure to be longer and continue to wear their masks when out in public for 10 days after the last exposure, starting on Day 6 after the infected persons symptoms began or positive test. Tyler authorized a mandatory mask-mandate for students in grades 2 and above in late July, and he has said that his goal is to prevent a school from closing because of a COVID-19 outbreak.