As COVID-19 numbers increase statewide and the Georgia Department of Public Health calls on residents to reduce the strain put on emergency services, parents and students are wondering what’s next for Habersham’s schools.
Habersham Schools Director of Nursing and Health Services, Crystal Holcomb, reports that there are currently 50 student and 27 staff COVD-19 cases in the system. That’s an uptick from last week’s reported cases of 41 student and 24 staff cases.
Here is the school-by-school breakdown of cases:
Even though the number of reported cases has increased, there will be no changes to COVID-19 protocols in Habersham’s public schools.
“We are very optimistic that the current surge in cases will subside in the near future,” says school superintendent Matthew Cooper.
“Despite the current surge, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our parents and students to keep all schools open. Returning to a virtual option for even a temporary period would be detrimental to thousands of students and families. We will not panic or overreact to the current surge in cases.”
Masks and online learning
Overreaction or not, schools in more than 20 mostly rural districts in Georgia have temporarily returned to online learning in response to climbing numbers. Habersham’s largest private school, Tallulah Falls, is among them.
Tallulah Falls School announced this week its 555 students will return to virtual learning through Labor Day.
While Habersham’s public schools continue to offer virtual options for students, the superintendent has expressed disinterest in returning to online learning system-wide.
“The bottom line is that we are planning to have school each day and our students will have the opportunity to learn,” Cooper says. “As superintendent, I have stood firm in my belief that school is the best and safest place for most students. That belief has not changed.”
Habersham’s mask policy also has not changed: Masks are optional in the county’s schools and most other Northeast Georgia school districts. However, the region’s two largest school systems require them in all or some of their schools.
Clarke and Hall counties are among a growing number of systems in the state with mask mandates.
According to the Associated Press, at least 56 of Georgia’s 180 traditional school districts are now requiring masks in at least some schools. The rules cover nearly 950,000, or about 55%, of Georgia’s 1.7 million public school students.
READ: Cooper’s full statement here
Data-sharing
The Habersham County school district will not post current COVID-19 case data on its website. Those interested in accessing that information must contact Director Holcomb or their child’s school principal. The information is updated weekly and is available upon request, Cooper says.
Some parents and students say the new policy lacks transparency, but the superintendent defends it as a way to preserve students’ mental health.
“We are making every effort to buffer our students from the angst and mental trauma associated with the virus,” he says. “We are also working hard to keep things as normal as possible for our students. We realize things are not normal for adults but we should all do our best to keep things normal for our children.”
“We believe that the posting of numbers is counterproductive to these goals. We believe it is best for parents to make school decisions based on the health conditions of their children, not how many cases are in a school on a given day.”
Local school systems such as White and Banks have continued to share their COVID-19 case data on their systems’ websites.
SEE ALSO: Superintendent Burkett reports White County Schools in good shape dealing with COVID
The virus, vaccine and school staff
For all the debate over which policies and approaches to dealing with the pandemic are best, one fact is indisputable — this virus has taken its toll.
A Hall County School Resource Officer died this week while battling COVID-19 and Habersham Central High School’s head baseball coach is still recovering from the effects of a month-long struggle with the disease.
Habersham Central High School Coach Chris Akridge was hospitalized for COVID-19 at the end of July. In a widely shared Aug. 20 Facebook post, Akridge discussed the toll the virus has taken on him.
“A month ago, I could open-water swim in the lake for 40+ minutes without stopping. Today, a 15-minute walk around the yard truly feels as if I just ran 5 miles,” he posted five days after returning home from the hospital. “It’s still unfathomable what this virus has done to my body.”
Akridge was not vaccinated when he got sick. He urges others to “prayerfully consider” how best to protect themselves and their families from “this terrible virus.”
“COVID is serious and to be respected. It is no respecter of persons and can affect each person in drastically different ways. It has taken a month of my life that I will never get back,” he says, adding, “I can only speak from my personal regret and the medical advice of the very people that I was counting on to save my life by any means necessary. Personally, I wish I’d been vaccinated.”
The Habersham County School System has announced that they will offer a free vaccine clinic for faculty and staff on Aug. 31 from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Habersham Central High School.
“We are hopeful that more of our staff members will take the vaccine,” Superintendent Cooper says. “This is far and away the most beneficial step that can be taken right now. More staff receiving the vaccine will further protect those staff who may be at risk and will result in fewer staff being placed in quarantine and missing time with their students.”
As of Aug. 25, Habersham County has reported a total of 5,193 COVID-19 cases and 160 COVID-19 deaths.
This article has been updated with additional information
