Orangeburg County schools going to online only classes because of COVID-19 concerns
Orangeburg County schools have shifted to online-only classes because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Spread of the coronavirus among teachers and staff prompted the transition to a virtual model, Orangeburg County School District officials said Saturday in a news release.
Orangeburg County schools will shift to a 100% virtual learning model that will last through winter break, according to the release.
The decision was made because of a spread of COVID-19 among teachers and staff, and the quarantine of other employees identified as close contacts, over the past several weeks, officials said.
On Thursday, all athletic practices and competitions were temporarily suspended after four student-athletes tested positive for the coronavirus, leading to the quarantine of their entire teams and coaching staff, according to the release.
On Friday and Saturday, additional employees with extensive close contacts throughout the schools tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. All close contacts have been notified and started a mandatory quarantine period, according to the release.
After consulting with infectious disease experts and community medical leaders the decision was made to go to online-only classrooms, officials said.
“Consistent with our district’s commitment to make decisions with the health and safety of our students, staff, families, and community as our highest priority, Orangeburg County School District will transition all learning to a 100% virtual model, effective immediately, through Winter Break,” officials said in the release.
On Monday and Tuesday students will participate in lessons recorded by their teachers, according to the release. Beginning Wednesday, live instruction will restart and all schools and offices will be open — by appointment only, with limited staff on-site.
Since March, 276 students and 275 school district employees have been quarantined because of this virus after testing positive for COVID-19 or being identified as “close contacts” to a positive case, or as someone who experienced symptoms suggestive of the virus, officials said.
The upward trend in positive cases at district schools mirrors a spike in coronavirus cases in Orangeburg County, which has been listed as having high COVID-19 activity by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The families of students already planning to learn in a virtual classroom next semester have to complete enrollment by the Dec. 18, officials said.
Three days of meals for students will be delivered on Monday and Thursday, and five days of meals will be distributed on Dec. 17, according to the release.
“We thank each of you for your flexibility during this challenging time and for your continued partnership in educating the children of our community,” officials said.
After a high number of teachers called in sick last week, Lexington-Richland 5 School District voted to move middle and high school students to a two-day-per-week “hybrid” schedule.
In the Lexington 2 School District, more than 20 teachers were out multiple days last week, in what appeared to be a protest against the district’s coronavirus policies. A “higher than normal” number of teachers were out at Airport High School and Brookland-Cayce High School, and both schools continued to operate with replacement staff, the district said.
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This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 10:24 AM.
