Vestavia Hills City Schools, Alabama require masks COVID-19
FREEDOM ARGUMENT IT DOESN’T WORK BECAUSE YOU’RE STEPPING ON MY FREEDOMS. ATTH’S THE SENTIMENT OF ONE PARENT IN VESTAVIA HILLS PUSHING FOR MASKED MANDATES IN SCHOOLS. GOOD EVENING. I’M GUY RAWLINGS AND I’M SHERI FALK PARENTS TODAY WERE FINALLY ALLOWED TO SPEAK WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WVTM 13’S RYAN. HE NNESSEYAS W AT THAT MEETING AND RYAN A LOT OF DIFFERING OPINIONS THERE. YEAH GUYND A SHERRI THE SAVIOR HILLS BOARD OF EDUCATION WITH A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM PARTSEN THE QUESTION. SHOULD THEY MANDATE MASS OR NOT? I SPOKE TO SOME PARENTS TODAY ON THEIR TAKE AFTER SUMMER, WE COME BACK TO SCHOOL. IT’S A CHOICE NOW. AND BASICALLY IT’S I FEEL LIKE WE’RE PLAYING A GAME O RFUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH OUR KIDS AND FOR CHOICE MASS CHOICE TO MASK OR NOT TO MASS. THAT IS THE QUESTION OR ARGUMENT THAT THE VESTAAVIIL HLS BOARD OF EDUCATION FACED MONDAY NIGHT FROM DISTRICT PARENTS THE ROOM HERE TODAY MAY BE SPLIT BUT THERE IS NOT A SPLIT WITH MEDICAL EXPERTS OR PHYSICIANS SINCE SCHLOO STAEDRT ON AUGUST 10TH, 126 TOTAL STUDENTS AND 30 STAFF MEMBERS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. 7,000LUS P STUDENTS ENROLLED AT VESTAVIA HILLS SCHOOLS THAT COMES OUT TO LESS THAN 2% ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS COVID-19 DASHBOARD. I THINK IT’S DIFFICULT TO KEEP IT ON TO START WITH AND WHERE IT CORRECTLY. I THINK THAT’S A GOOD POINT. THEY MADEOU Y KW,NO MY MY SEXUAL CAN’T HE CAN BARELY KEEP IT ON 10 MINUTES WHERE HE’S PULLING DOWN FISNGHI IT UP RIGHT NOW. THERE IS NO MASS MANDATE IN PLACE, BUT MANY PARENTS ARE PUSHGIN FOR IT TO HAPPEN. AND I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THESE EAR JUST REALLY UNUSUAL TIMES AND WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC THIS NOTSUAL U LIKE I ON A NORMAL YEAR. I’M NOT SAY. HEY, PLEASE PUT A KID IN THE MASK. AND NO DECISION WAS MADE TONIGHT ON THE FUTURE OFAS MS AT THE VESTAVIA HILLS SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED WITH THE LATEST DECNIOIS ON AIR AND ONLINE GUY RYAN. THANKS. WE’LL BLOUNT COUNTY SCHOOLS REIRQUING MASS TO STARTING TOMORROW UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17TH. ETHER NEEDED IT INSIDE BUILDINGS LAST WEEK. WE SAW SCHOOLS LIKE LOCUST FKOR EMENTARY SCHOOL GO VIRTUAL BECAUSE OF CLIMBING INFECTIONS. YOU CAN ALSO ADD LEEDS CYIT SCHOOLS TO THE LIST. THEY’RE REQUIRING MASS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AND POSSIBLY LONGERND A DON’FOT RGET. ABOUT THESE JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS NEEDING MKSAS OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL CORNER MIDDLE AND HIGH ALONG WITH BAGLEY AND BROOKVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS. THERE WILL BE MAS
Vestavia Hills City Schools to require masks starting Wednesday
Updated: 9:23 PM CDT Aug 30, 2021
Vestavia Hills City Schools has changed its course on COVID-19 protocols and will now require all students, staff and visitors to wear face masks indoors beginning Sept. 1.VHCS Superintendent Todd Freeman sent the following email to all parents Monday explaining the reasoning behind the change:Dear VHCS family,From the outset of the school year, we committed to the goal of keeping students in school and in a healthy environment. We also committed to adjusting our plan when there are challenges to achieving that goal. Our staff has done a tremendous job of maintaining a healthy environment through physical distancing, measures that promote indoor air quality, cleaning/disinfecting, and providing for the healthcare needs of our students. I am appreciative of all of their extraordinary efforts. Fortunately, our positive rate of students is comparable to that of other school systems in the area. Unfortunately, there continues to be an increasing number of students who are absent from school for close contacts.During the week of August 23-27, 142 students (2.02% of in-person enrollment) were absent at least one day because of a reported positive diagnosis and 357 students (5.08%) were absent because of a close contact. 93 students were absent on Friday, August 27 because of a positive diagnosis. COVID-related daily absences averaged 4.72% and total daily absences averaged 9.12% last week. In a typical non-pandemic year, our average daily absences are generally 4%. You can view our full COVID-19 Dashboard on the VHCS website.As you can see, the majority of students who are absent are out of school because of close contacts. Most of those students are not testing positive as a result of close contact at school. This means that many of our students are unnecessarily missing a significant amount of time away from school.With this in mind, we will change our plan from strongly encouraging masks to requiring masks while indoors for all students, staff, and visitors effective Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Exceptions to wearing a face mask may be granted if a medical condition or disability prevents it; a note from the students’ physician is required and must be provided to the school nurse. Moving forward, schools will notify parents only when their student has had a possible exposure. Students and staff will be required to stay home only if they are positive or have COVID-19 symptoms. Students and staff who are currently absent or on leave for close contact will return after the 10 calendar days from when they were sent home. A negative test or antibody test does not allow anyone to return before the 10-day period. I want to emphasize a few additional points critical to the success of our plan:Students and staff are to stay at home when they have COVID-19 symptoms. Be vigilant in washing hands and using proper hygiene etiquette when coughing or sneezing. Consider vaccination in consultation with your healthcare provider. Our goal remains to keep students in school and in a healthy environment. We will continue to review our attendance and health information each week to determine when we can end the mask requirement. My next update will be Tuesday, September 7. Todd Freeman, Ed.D.SuperintendentVestavia Hills City Schools
Vestavia Hills City Schools has changed its course on COVID-19 protocols and will now require all students, staff and visitors to wear face masks indoors beginning Sept. 1.
VHCS Superintendent Todd Freeman sent the following email to all parents Monday explaining the reasoning behind the change:
Dear VHCS family,
From the outset of the school year, we committed to the goal of keeping students in school and in a healthy environment. We also committed to adjusting our plan when there are challenges to achieving that goal. Our staff has done a tremendous job of maintaining a healthy environment through physical distancing, measures that promote indoor air quality, cleaning/disinfecting, and providing for the healthcare needs of our students. I am appreciative of all of their extraordinary efforts. Fortunately, our positive rate of students is comparable to that of other school systems in the area. Unfortunately, there continues to be an increasing number of students who are absent from school for close contacts.
During the week of August 23-27, 142 students (2.02% of in-person enrollment) were absent at least one day because of a reported positive diagnosis and 357 students (5.08%) were absent because of a close contact. 93 students were absent on Friday, August 27 because of a positive diagnosis. COVID-related daily absences averaged 4.72% and total daily absences averaged 9.12% last week. In a typical non-pandemic year, our average daily absences are generally 4%. You can view our full COVID-19 Dashboard on the VHCS website.
As you can see, the majority of students who are absent are out of school because of close contacts. Most of those students are not testing positive as a result of close contact at school. This means that many of our students are unnecessarily missing a significant amount of time away from school.
With this in mind, we will change our plan from strongly encouraging masks to requiring masks while indoors for all students, staff, and visitors effective Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Exceptions to wearing a face mask may be granted if a medical condition or disability prevents it; a note from the students’ physician is required and must be provided to the school nurse.
Moving forward, schools will notify parents only when their student has had a possible exposure. Students and staff will be required to stay home only if they are positive or have COVID-19 symptoms. Students and staff who are currently absent or on leave for close contact will return after the 10 calendar days from when they were sent home. A negative test or antibody test does not allow anyone to return before the 10-day period.
I want to emphasize a few additional points critical to the success of our plan:
- Students and staff are to stay at home when they have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Be vigilant in washing hands and using proper hygiene etiquette when coughing or sneezing.
- Consider vaccination in consultation with your healthcare provider.
Our goal remains to keep students in school and in a healthy environment. We will continue to review our attendance and health information each week to determine when we can end the mask requirement. My next update will be Tuesday, September 7.
Todd Freeman, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Vestavia Hills City Schools
