Cherokee County Schools students returned to class Monday, even as the county experiences its highest number of COVID-19 infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
Almost all students started the year off in face-to-face learning, with about 23 being approved for virtual learning as of last week. Students will adhere to similar COVID-19 guidelines to the previous year, but will not be required to wear masks.
A vote to mandate facial coverings for secondary students failed by a 5-2 vote during an emergency Cherokee County Board of Education meeting Thursday night. Board Chair Arnold Matthews and the vice chair, Dr. Jeff Martin, voted in favor. The vote came after a lengthy discussion with Health Director David Badger, who urged the board to require students to wear masks.
“I think when we look at it from a practical standpoint, the ways that we most benefit those children to give them the best foot forward is to make sure that they have infection controls in place,” Badger said. “Those include masks.
“Are they perfect? No. I’m not going to stand up here and act like they are. If I did, you can kick me out the back door, but it’s about giving our kids, the teachers, the staff the resources to not only protect themselves, but move forward.
“Do we want to see football played on Friday nights? Yes, I do. What’s our best way to make sure that happens and keep our kids safe. … If we get to a point where we’re shutting our schools down, we’re not going to have those opportunities.”
The board is scheduled to revisit the issue at its regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 9.
Badger said there were 445 cases of the coronavirus in Cherokee County from Aug. 1-19, with 25 breakthrough cases and 78 cases in school-age children.
“At the current rate of infection in the county, we’re on pace to well exceed 700 cases this month alone,” Badger said. “We have the third-highest rate in the state of North Carolina, and basically our vaccination rate is at 35 percent.”
In an interview following the meeting, the health director expressed disappointment with the board’s decision.
“It’s like seeing a train come down the track, if you don’t get out of the way or do anything to avoid it,” Badger said. “The writing seems to be on the wall, and again that’s no guarantee that’s going to happen here in Cherokee County. I hope it doesn’t frankly, but it’s happened just about in every school district.”
He said Union County, Ga., closed its primary school less than a week into the year due to the number of students in quarantine.
“We’ve in essence, just said, ‘Well, let’s see what’s going to happen,’ and there’s really no strategy in that,” Badger said.
Despite the concerns of some over the number of cases, principals said they were excited to have students back in their buildings.
“We’re great, we’re ready,” Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle School Principal Brandy Raper said.
As students returned, Raper began her first year as a principal.
“I’ve had a lot of first days, but this is the first day that I will actually have been the principal when school starts,” Raper said. “I’m really nervous, but I know it will be good.
“We’re ready. Our staff are ready. Our students are ready and, of course, we want everybody to come to school and feel safe, and just learn as much as they can this year, and we hope that’s the service we can provide to our community.”
Murphy Elementary School Principal Dane Rickett also said he was excited for students to return to the classroom, with few choosing to participate in virtual learning.
“It is always chaotic, but it’ll be even more chaotic this year when we try to navigate new guidelines and procedures, but even with that we’re excited just to get the students back and be face to face, and hopefully to get at least some since of normalcy going on in the classroom,” Rickett said.
He said his first thought Monday morning would be logistics, making sure all his students made it to class, got fed and made it home in one piece.
“Before I was in elementary schools I was a high school teacher and a coach and all of that, and I din’t process those procedural things and how crucial they are, especially when you’re dealing with 500 children,” Rickett said. “That is our focus for the first three days, and sometimes the first week, just safety and procedures.”
He aded that he enjoys having students at the age where they were still excited to go to school.
“There’s a handful that don’t want to come back, but for the most part they’re excited to see their friends,” Rickett said. “They’re excited to see their teachers. They’re excited to be back in the building.”
Superintendent Jeana Conley also expressed her wishes for a good year, even in uncertain times. She acknowledged the difficulties that quarantines were causing even before students returned.
“We know heading into the year that we’re going to have to be very flexible and be able to reach our students whether they’re at school or not, and we’re going to be spread very thin as far as faculty, but we’re ready and willing to make it happen,” Conley said.