LOCAL

Pickens schools going to temporary virtual classes after increase in COVID cases

Mike Ellis
Greenville News

The largest school district to return so far in S.C. is pausing in-person school starting Monday after nine days of school and with hospitalizations of several staff members and a student.

"We don't know if it's safe to continue as is," district spokesman Darian Byrd said during an emergency board meeting. He said other districts should pay attention. More than 90% of the state's students return to school next week.

Teachers and schools in Pickens County will be reaching out to students on Monday and Tuesday, days that will give staff time to adjust and students the ability to pick up Chromebooks, laptop-like devices that make distance learning possible.

The remote schooling will last all week.

Students will get an update by Thursday about future plans, according to the district.

The school district currently has 142 students who have tested positive for COVID-19, the peak during the previous school year was 85 students in January 2021.

Four staff members are currently hospitalized with two on ventilators, along with one student who has been hospitalized, Byrd said.

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The school district is the largest in the state to be back in school after the summer break, with more than 15,000 students. The district returned on Aug. 3, it has had nine days of school counting Friday.

Byrd said the cases have continued to rise in the nine days of school.

More than 90% of the state's students are expected to return to school next week.

Byrd said other districts should take note of Pickens County's experience.

He said the district believes that the temporary nature of the virtual school avoids triggering a state threshold that could halt nearly half of per-student funding if more than 5% of the district's students are virtual.

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Board chair Shannon Haskett said face-to-face schooling is the clear preference for the board, parents and for students. However, he said the delta variant is showing much higher rates of spread among students and the board is committed to protecting students.

The district is reporting a dramatic increase in COVID positive cases and quarantines among students.

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The COVID positive cases have crossed a threshold, only barely, with a higher rate of positive tests among students, 76 per 10,000, than in the community, which had 75 positive tests per 10,000 people in the two weeks from July 28 to Aug. 11, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The latest data shows 142 students and two staff have tested positive, or less than 1% of students and 1% of staff. About 3% of students are quarantined.

There were 52 students and 12 staff positive last week.

At some elementary schools — Forest Acres and Six Mile — more than 6% of the students are quarantined.

More than 90% of the state's students are in districts that return to school next week.

When asked about the rising cases in the Pickens County school district and the possibility of school closure, Gov. Henry McMaster reiterated in a press conference Friday that it was important that children studied in schools to make up for the learning loss and that the choice of wearing masks was still left up to the parents.

He also said that he had no plans to make an executive order and allow school districts to decide whether masks were required.

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Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report. 

Mike Ellis tells South Carolina stories with a focus on Easley, Powdersville and Pickens County along with faith and religion. He's always looking for the next story that people need to read, please send any tips or feedback to mellis@gannett.com