Lee County reviewing schools’ COVID-19 protocols

Lee County schools are tackling two issues: preparing for your children heading back to class (all new teachers met for the first time this morning) and keeping them safe as the delta variant of COVID-19 surges, especially among the unvaccinated. The Lee County School Board will discuss safety protocols Monday.

With the spread of the delta variant, the voices of those in favor of more action against COVID-19 seem to be getting louder. The School District of Lee County says two of the things most demanded by parents who want stricter COVID-19 protocols are the requirements of masks and quarantining.

While many parents are glad to see their children return to some sense of normalcy, those in families who have underlying conditions insist that they deserve to know when their child has been exposed to COVID-19. Some say that while they try to encourage their child to wear a mask to protect vulnerable family members, other students treat them differently for doing so.

Masks will be voluntary this school year but will be encouraged for unvaccinated students and staff.

Bringing back Lee Connect, the district’s virtual option from last year, is something a lot of parents are interested in as cases rise.

“We know how detrimental distance learning can be for… especially certain demographics of our students,” said Gwyn Gittens, Lee County School Board member. “And we are trying to help catch them up from that situation last year. So, just praying that we don’t have to do that again.”

Board members admit that while they can’t predict what’s going to happen, should things escalate even more in the future, they may be forced to reevaluate. Right now, though, they say the hope is that it never comes to that, and that the focus can be on keeping kids in the classrooms and helping them overcome any learning gaps that formed last year.

Submit