By Andrew Edwards
Elmore/Autauga News Staff Writer
Both Elmore and Autauga County public school systems will not require students and faculty to wear masks at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. However, that decision is subject to change, says Elmore County Superintendent Richard Dennis.
In light of growing Covid numbers across the state due to the delta variant, some counties and cities have already made the decision to require all students and faculty members to wear masks – including Birmingham City Schools, Huntsville City Schools, Jefferson County Schools and Montgomery County Schools.
While the plan in Elmore and Autauga Counties is to operate “under normal circumstances,” the situation is fluid and everchanging. In fact, both Dennis and Autauga County Superintendent Timothy Tidmore will be meeting with State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey and Alabama Department of Public Health Official Scott Harris this week to further discuss potential requirements moving forward.
Elmore County released their in-person instruction plan earlier this summer, which laid out the way in which academics, athletics, technology and more would be handled during the 2021-2022 year.
They also revealed the plan for the handling of a student or faculty member who contracted the virus or is ill with covid-like symptoms. Dennis says that, as of now, Elmore County will still adhere to all the rules and regulations that have been put into place. Both the instruction plan and Covid guidelines can be viewed at the links below.
https://content.schoolinsites.com/api/documents/d5c10ed0914047dcb9d6a7aeb1f68029.pdf
https://content.schoolinsites.com/api/documents/aabf8460857944df91e8022068eb810c.pdf
“Elmore County along with most of the state is currently in a heightened health status. Under current state guidelines, Elmore County Schools will begin the 2021-2022 school year under normal operating procedures. Masks are currently optional for students and employees,” Dennis said.
“I encourage all students and employees who are eligible to take the COVID vaccine, if possible. There is a limited supply of Pfizer vaccines which the Elmore County Health Department will offer on Fridays will no appointment necessary.”
Dennis explained that the county will operate on a school-to-school basis. As of now, there is no specific virus threshold percentage that would make the Elmore County Board of Education require masks for all schools.
Instead, Dennis explained that masks could be required for a specific school if there was a “significant number of individuals impacted on a certain campus”.
In Autauga County, the approach is similar, Tidmore says. The superintendent said that, like Elmore County, the Autauga County School System will operate on a school-to-school basis. If there is an outbreak of more than 10 percent in the population of a single school, then that building will close for an unknown period of time based on the severity of the outbreak.
While out, students would complete coursework on the virtual platform ‘Schoology’.
After returning, a mask mandate could be implemented for varying amounts of time, also depending on the severity of the outbreak, Tidmore said.
“We’re taking a similar approach to last year. If your kids are sick, don’t send them to school,” Tidmore urged.
The full instruction plan for the 2021-2022 Autauga County School year can be viewed in the link below. Regulations are subject to change, Tidmore said.
https://content.schoolinsites.com/api/documents/aabf8460857944df91e8022068eb810c.pdf
Students in Autauga County return to school this Thursday, while Elmore County begins their first day of class next Monday.
