How have Columbia-area schools handled COVID? Districts tell what worked, what didn’t
The coronavirus pandemic has been the most disruptive challenge for Midlands schools in years.
South Carolina schools across the state have struggled with how and whether to reopen their campuses and allow students back in the classroom — and different school districts have come to different conclusions. Parents and students’ experiences have varied broadly depending on where they live.
The State asked all school districts in Richland and Lexington counties to evaluate how they responded to the pandemic using the strategic planning technique called SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).
Here is a summary of their responses from phone or email interviews.
LEXINGTON 1 DISTRICT
(Town of Lexington, Gilbert, Pelion areas)
What were the strengths of Lexington 1’s approach?
Superintendent Greg Little said Lexington 1 has adopted a deliberate reopening strategy of evaluating each policy change “every step of the way” — both before it was implemented and once its affects became clear.
The district has taken a slower approach to reopening than some of its neighbors. Its middle and elementary schools are still operating on a four-day model, while high school students are on a hybrid model with two days spent on campus and three days learning remotely.
“We prioritized not just the health and safety of everyone in the building, but the health and safety of the community,” Little said.
He praised the response of teachers, administrators and staff going back to the beginning of the pandemic in March, when schools were closed and “we had 72 hours to implement an entirely new model on the fly.” Little also highlights the 800,000 meals the district distributed to students despite the springtime shutdown.
“It’s an incredible testament that the power of education is because of people,” he said. “Our people have gone above and beyond, to do new things in new ways.”
What are the weaknesses of Lexington 1’s approach?
While Little emphasized the district’s collaborative approach to decision making, that was difficult during the breakneck speed of the pandemic, when “it always feels like decisions were needed yesterday.”
“It’s hard to have the same thoroughness with all the different ramifications that have to be worked through at such an accelerated pace,” Little said. “We never would have done that during pre-COVID times.”
He points out the district needed to create a schedule for both on-site and online learning in July, then create a new one for the spring semester “from scratch” in November and December. “We did two years’ worth of work in one,” he said.
What opportunities do you see for changes in your approach in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
When considering when students in Lexington 1 might return to school full time, Little said the district continues to monitor for a post-holiday jump in the number of COVID-19 cases among students and staff. He said he wants to see educators prioritized as part of the rollout of the vaccine, which he calls “the ultimate game changer” in returning to a sense of normality.
But Little also sees a bigger role going forward for the district’s online learning program, saying, “We have pervasive access to technology. Couple that with skilled education, and we can create a powerful combination.”
He imagines a post-pandemic future where students have a choice between virtual and in-person learning, or even a mix of classes in one medium and the other.
“Our goal is not to get back to normal,” he said. “It’s to get to a better normal that works for more kids.”
He said some of the COVID-related changes have shown surprisingly positive results. For example, an online summer reading program that allowed one-on-one attention for students shows “statistically significant” improvements compared to an hours-long, in-person group camp offered to students the previous summer.
Another lasting change is likely to be the focus on “social-emotional” learning that staff have made a priority since last spring, focusing on students’ mental well-being among unprecedented disruptions as much as on the day’s lesson plan.
“There’s focused time for it built into the day,” Little said.
What concerns you the most, and how will Lexington 1 respond?
It’s still unclear how well students have adapted to this new learning environment, Little said, or if all students are being reached as effectively as they could be.
“I worry about students who are not well-supported at home in online learning, and what impact that has,” he said. “The disengagement, and what impact it has on their mental health.”
He regrets the once-in-a-lifetime milestones many students are missing out on, or experiencing in a much different form, during the pandemic. Little said his daughter will soon turn 18 without the level of celebration such an event would have previously entailed.
“A friend might come over, and they can sit six feet apart in the garage,” he said.
But he hopes that living through a life-altering global pandemic will ultimately give this generation of students a stronger sense of resilience and self-confidence in the face of adversity.
“Our grandparents went through the Great Depression, and that gave them strength to have gone through that,” he said. “I hope this experience gives them an inner strength they’ll carry throughout their lives.”
LEXINGTON 2 DISTRICT
(Cayce, West Columbia)
What were the strengths of Lexington 2’s approach?
When the pandemic hit, teachers and administrators in the Cayce-West Columbia area worked to set up a workable virtual option, said Superintendent Nicolas Wade, with training over the summer to get them more comfortable with an online learning environment.
Wade, who came to Lexington 2 from Chicago, praises the efforts South Carolina made to get personal protective equipment into the classroom so schools in the district could get reopen full time in December.
“Outside the state, that’s not always available in school districts,” Wade said.
Since then, the district has kept its number of positive cases low — in the last week of January, the district had seven staff cases and six student cases — which Wade credits to the “structured environment” of students being in school. “Cases are higher in our virtual academy,” he said. “If a student stays home there can be other various factors, and that’s if they stay at home.”
What are the weaknesses of Lexington 2’s approach?
“Like every district, we’ve had to endure ever-changing guidelines and news cycles, and respond to misinformation and disinformation,” Wade said.
He fears the pandemic has exposed divisions within society that it will take more than a school district to overcome. The shift to keeping students out of school threw into stark relief disparities in access to basic necessities like food and clothing, never mind reliable internet so a child could get back to learning.
“The onus for solving that is now falling on the school district, and that’s something all districts need to face,” he said.
What opportunities do you see for changes in your approach in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
Lexington 2 is examining multiple issues thrown up by the pandemic that could end up having a long-term impact on school operations.
They include the student achievement gap thrown open by the pandemic, the need for a focus on “social-emotional” care of students and on their mental health. Wade believes all of them will be assessed alongside other needs in Lexington 2’s long-term planning.
That includes a long-term plan for virtual learning becoming a regular option for students, if they want it.
“It’s all on the table,” Wade said. “We could make a virtual public option, although we know the challenges and we have to address them to make it viable in the long run.”
What concerns you the most, and how will Lexington 2 respond?
While Wade is glad the district was able to reopen schools this year, he worries the “rushed pursuit of normalcy” obscures the challenges that still lie ahead. How long will the safety measures put in place this year still be needed? What if the vaccine rollout takes longer than expected?
The biggest challenge that occupies Wade right now is whether the pandemic will exacerbate South Carolina schools’ already existing shortage of teachers. Already, school districts have seen an increase in teachers leaving their jobs during the pandemic.
“We’re still doing all the usual recruiting, and we’re evaluating how we look at retention, and getting creative with rewarding those teachers,” he said.
LEXINGTON 3 DISTRICT
(Batesburg-Leesville)
What are the strengths of Lexington 3’s approach?
Teachers and administrators worked throughout the summer to get protective procedures in place in line with guidance from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, allowing elementary schools to fully reopen when students returned for the fall semester, Lexington 3 said.
“Thus far, our efforts to keep COVID-19 at bay within our schools have seemingly worked,” said district spokeswoman Mackenzie Taylor.
As of Jan. 27, the Batesburg-Leesville district had 49 positive student cases and 26 positive staff cases of COVID-19 since classes resumed back in the fall. The district has since moved middle schools back to five-day-a-week, in-person learning, while high schools remain on a four-day model.
“While we wish that nobody had to experience illness as a result of COVID-19, we are extremely grateful that our students and staff have worked so hard to make our schools safe and healthy institutions of learning by following the practices and procedures we put into place at the beginning of the school year,” Taylor said.
What are the weaknesses of Lexington 3’s approach?
The district’s biggest problem is its small size. With 339 full-time employees, even a single teacher testing positive for COVID-19 can be highly disruptive.
“On these rare occasions, we have had no other choice but to transition entire grade levels of staff and students to full-time remote learning for several weeks until all staff members could end their quarantine period and safely return to school,” Taylor said. “We know this puts a burden on our families where parents work full-time as they’re forced to find child care and for that, we are truly sorry.”
What opportunities do you see for changes in your approach in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
Like nearly everyone else, Lexington 3 is hopeful the wider availability of the vaccine will allow for a return to more normal school operations. “However, Lexington Three will continue to follow the advice we receive from DHEC and the SC Department of Education as it pertains to COVID-19 procedures and guidelines,” Taylor said.
What concerns you the most, and how will Lexington 3 respond?
Taylor said while the pandemic remains a concern, the district is committed to continuing to provide an education to its students.
“While many are weary from almost a year of extreme challenges in all aspects of society due to COVID-19, we intend on continuing forward on our mission of ‘Preparing students for the future... now,’” she said.
LEXINGTON 4 DISTRICT
(Gaston, Swansea)
What are the strengths of Lexington 4’s approach?
The Gaston-Swansea district has maximized the number of days that students opting for on-site instruction can attend class in person, said Lexington 4’s Lisa Ingram. Students from 4K through high school are currently attending class four days a week, and learning remotely on the fifth day.
“We have attended in person each day that we could meet social distancing guidelines and had staff available to properly supervise students,” Ingram said.
What are the weaknesses of Lexington 4’s approach?
No matter what the district does to keep students, faculty and staff safe inside the schools, they can’t control for outside exposure to the virus. So far that’s where the most disruption has come from.
“As for all districts, the most difficult contingencies are external factors we do not control, such as the number of students or staff that are exposed, quarantined, isolated, etc., based on off-site exposure,” Ingram said in an email.
What opportunities do you see for changes in your protocol in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
Ingram doesn’t expect the district’s current approach to change absent some outside issue. A fast rollout of the vaccine, or any changes in public health guidelines or new directives from the governor or the Education Department, could all change Lexington 4’s approach, but the current setup is proceeding successfully so far.
What concerns you the most, and how will Lexington 4 respond?
“The health of students, staff, and families in our community remain our top priority,” Ingram said. “We want to ensure we maximize the number of onsite instruction days while at the same time protecting the health of all involved.”
LEXINGTON-RICHLAND 5 DISTRICT
(Irmo, Dutch Fork, Chapin)
What are the strengths of Lexington-Richland 5’s approach?
The key to responding to COVID-19 in the Chapin and Irmo area has been a flexible approach, the district’s superintendent said. The district opened in a hybrid model, with students attending class two days a week and then learning remotely the other three. Throughout the fall, the district resumed four days of in-person instruction and then moved to full five days this week.
But the district has also switched course at times, including reverting to the hybrid model in high schools in December after a rise in cases. Some individual schools have also gone virtual when the district has seen a spike in cases.
“We have had to be flexible, to evaluate and to reevaluate our response to the virus and to change course when necessary,” said Superintendent Christina Melton. “Along the way, we’ve changed models through a phased-in approach, while evaluating our operations to ensure we proceeded with caution and we put the safety of our students and staff in the forefront.”
Lexington-Richland 5 also sought to get the input of all the district’s stakeholders. Committees were formed with administrators, parents, teachers, community members and others to craft how the district could best handle re-entry. Melton has also coordinated with MUSC Health on “risk mitigation” strategies for re-opening schools.
What are the weaknesses of Lexington-Richland 5’s approach?
The biggest challenge identified by Melton is managing the tension around reopening. Early in the semester, parents rallied outside a school board meeting calling for a quick return to full in-person classes. Others have worried about the risks of reopening too fast. Students have protested to slow the reopening plan or to support a return to a hybrid model. In December, three high schools had to shut down when several teachers called out in apparent protest of the pace of reopening.
Melton has had to manage those tensions throughout the school year, trying to keep pace with calls to return to normal while ensuring that reopening can be done safely.
“As a superintendent I hear all sides of this issue, from individuals who are eager to return to school five days a week to those who are fearful of the risks,” Melton said. “That’s created a great divide in our community and a great challenge to bring our communities together for the common goal of educating and caring for students during a pandemic.”
What opportunities do you see for changes in your protocol in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
Lexington-Richland 5 is working with the Medical University of South Carolina as part of its Back2Business program, which works with employers to reopen their work places safely. The med school makes its health care professionals available to work on mitigation strategies and makes resources available to both schools and businesses.
“I have been consistent to remind the staff of a ‘progress not perfection’ approach,” Melton said. “We’ll continue to evaluate our approach and to make changes as needed.”
What concerns you the most, and how will Lexington-Richland 5 respond?
Even when the virus is brought under control, Melton expects the repercussions to be felt long term. Students and staff have both been put under a long-term strain in adjusting to changes in the schedule, while worrying about whether they or their loved ones will get sick, and months of that uncertainty have taken a strain.
Like other districts, Lexington-Richland 5 will also need to recruit and retain teachers who have lived through the pandemic and seen brand new demands that stretched their skills in new formats and under unprecedented conditions.
All of those will need renewed focus moving forward, Melton said.
“But if I am proud of anything during this period, I have been proud of the work of public educators everywhere during the pandemic,” Melton said. “If we pause to look back on all that has transpired since last March, we can see and appreciate the creativity and dedication of those who choose to be in our field.”
“This moment can define public education or it can refine us,” she said. “I believe, post-pandemic, we will be refined.”
RICHLAND 1 DISTRICT
(Columbia, St. Andrews, Lower Richland)
What are the strengths of Richland 1’s approach?
Richland 1’s plan leans heavily on flexibility and feedback from a diverse group of people, spokeswoman Karen York said in an email.
The reopening plan was based on input from a 100-member task force and is regularly updated with advice from public health experts, York said. The district also posts Q&As, videos and the entire reopening plan to a dedicated portion of Richland 1’s website for parents to learn more, York said.
What are the weaknesses of Richland 1’s approach?
The weakness of Richland 1’s approach is similar to that face by many other districts. Given a pandemic, unprecedented in modern times, it is hard to determine an approach that is in the best interests of students, parents and employees, York said.
What opportunities do you see for changes in your protocol in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
“The district will continue to monitor community spread of COVID-19 and other health information from health officials,” York said. “As we have done, we will make adjustments as needed. Hopefully, educators will be moved up on the priority list to receive the vaccine.”
What concerns you the most, and how will Richland 1 respond?
Richland 1 is most concerned about the safety of students, faculty and staff, which is the district’s top priority moving forward, York said.
RICHLAND 2 DISTRICT
(Northeast Richland County)
What are the strengths of Richland 2’s approach?
When designing its back-to-school plan in spring 2020, Richland 2 tried to prepare for as much as possible, spokeswoman Libby Roof said in an email.
Richland 2 formed a district-wide task force and consulted with over 100 people including teachers, coaches, administrators, health officials and more while making the back-to-school plan. After that plan was developed, individual schools formed their own task forces to develop a school-specific strategy, Roof said.
Before implementing virtual-only learning, Richland 2 stocked up on software, devices and hotspots. Richland 2 also sent school support staff to deliver technology and connect students with resources such as social workers, Roof said.
Schools distributed PPE, upgraded air filters and opened doors and windows when possible to minimize COVID-19 spread in the classroom, Roof said.
What are the weaknesses of Richland 2’s approach?
When Richland 2 was crafting its reopening plan, there was no school-specific cases data available, so the district based its plan on county data, Roof said. Therefore, even if cases are low in schools, but high in the county, the plan calls for students to remain in virtual-only classes.
The district’s plan did also not account for potential ebbs and flows in the number of coronavirus cases, Roof said.
“It was not sustainable to stay in (virtual only) indefinitely and it is also not sustainable for us to move back and forth between (virtual) and (hybrid).”
What opportunities do you see for changes in your protocol in the spring semester? Or other changes in the district going forward?
It’s crucial to get teachers and staff vaccinated as quickly as possible, Roof said. Once that happens, it can be “a game changer” in getting students back into the classroom.
What concerns you the most, and how will Richland 2 respond?
The district is most concerned that despite the push to get students and teachers back into the classroom as quickly as possible, teachers are relatively far back in line to get vaccinated, Roof said.
With many staff and teachers out because of quarantine or a positive coronavirus test, Richland 2 has been increasing its push to recruit substitutes and having district staff help cover teacher vacancies, Roof said.
Long-term, Roof worries the increased pressure on teachers could force them out of the profession, she said.
“High stress levels, rapidly changing and uncertain situations, and the constant pressure to meet demands weighs heavily on employees and contributes to low morale and increased incidences of burnout,” Roof said.
This story was originally published February 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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