NCSD COVID-19 spike ends semester early
The Newton County Schools District has revised its school calendar to extend Christmas break to a full three weeks, as the district sees a large spike in COVID-19 cases.
At a regularly scheduled board meeting Monday night, the Newton County School Board of Trustees voted to move the final day of the semester to Friday, Dec. 18. That means, Christmas break will now include Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 21 and 22.
Superintendent J.O. Amis said the reason for the calendar change is due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. As of Monday, Amis said 12 new cases were reported from last week through Monday. A total of 117 students and faculty, including those who tested positive, are quarantining due to school policy. He also said there were more than 100 absences above those quarantining over the last week.
Amis said they went back to school three days early this fall (Aug. 3) so that they could have some flexibility with the calendar.
“We’re asking to use two of those three days on Monday and Tuesday of next week so that this Friday will be our last day before the Christmas holidays,” Amis asked the board Monday night. “My recommendation is for Friday to be a regular school day so that it doesn’t inconvenience parents with regular school. It’s just like normal on Friday.”
Amis said Monday and Tuesday were usually “merit holidays” that students receive and said a lot of students would already be out of school those days. The only difference is that Friday will be a full day of school instead of a 60 percent day that usually ends the semester.
Buses will run their regular schedule on Friday as well. Students will return on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
In addition with the change, the school board also moved its January meeting to Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021.
Amis did dispel rumors that they were planning to close schools and go to virtual learning.
“Somebody put on there that we’re going to turn out school, turn out school, and Jason (Mangum) was asking me what we were doing,” Amis said. “I heard that. I don’t know anything about it.”
“I told them if that came down, it was not JO Amis’ decision,” Mangum said.
One thing that won’t change over the holidays will be practicing for sports. Board attorney Jason Mangum said the coaching staffs will be doing temperature checks and the normal procedures for the student-athletes that are practicing each day.
“They have to practice the same COVID protocols that they would be (on a normal school day),” Mangum said.
Amis said coach Justin Chaney sets each sport to have an allotted time to practice in the gymnasium.
Amis said the only game scheduled next week is on Monday night. He said they’ve been doing a good job for the most part with social distancing and mask wearing, but he will ask the staff to continue to make sure that masks are being worn and that fans spread out, especially using the upper part.
“They’ve got to have it (a mask) on when they come through that door,” Amis said. “They will not let them in there without a mask on.”
“We are blessed with facilities that allow people to spread out at least outdoors,” Mangum said. “What you see are family and friends sitting together that sit together at church and sit together at every other event.”
“Even with our home basketball games, there’s not a lot of people there,” said board member Jason Cain. “We just need them to wear their masks.”
Amis said fans at soccer games have plenty of room to spread out. He said they have plenty of room at basketball games to spread out, especially with the upper deck.
“It’s posted that we allow only four people per player, but we have not exceeded that number,” Amis said. “Based on our numbers, we could have up to 250, but we’re running about 150.”
Board members overall were very pleased with how things have gone this semester.
“I do want to comment what has been done from the faculty and everybody because we have been in very good shape compared to some other school districts,” Cain said. “Some of this (coronavirus spikes) is well beyond anybody’s control to some extent. So I think the faculty and you guys need to be commended for what you have done and the efforts that have been made. I have been very pleased.”
“I told Glenda (Barrett) earlier that I had a parent at church that thanked us for keeping school open too,” Board Member Johnnie Thorne said.
