Changes in COVID-19 safety procedures at Watauga High School compared to the previous school year have students concerned. The absence of former safety procedures has students asking questions about how safe Watauga High is.
Safety procedures like temperature screenings, staggered releases, and spaced-out desks have been done away with this school year. The reality is, some of them weren’t effective in the first place.
“The reason some of [the safety precautions] have become recommendations and not requirements is that we’ve been getting new data, new information, that maybe some of the procedures we had in place, like temperature screenings, weren’t finding anybody that was COVID positive,” Assistant Principal Ms. Rachel Shepherd said.
Another procedure that was removed from school requirements was staggered release schedules between classes and after school.
“[The CDC] is not requesting that schools do that anymore,” Shepherd said. “It’s a very short time period, and as far as we know, we’re not seeing transmission in a time-frame that small. We didn’t feel like that added as much of a layer as protection as other ways.”
While many safety procedures have been put on hold, like staggered release schedules and temperature screenings, various COVID-19 safety procedures are still in place.
“There are still quarantines implemented if students are considered close-contacts,” Shepherd explained. “We still have deep cleaning done by custodians.”
Many safety protocols in place this year kept faculty and staff at Watauga High busy over the summer.
“We worked with teachers over the summer with how to group their desks and arrange their classrooms so that there is the greatest possibility for social distancing,” Shepherd said. “The way that our desks are,” she explained. “It’s about 3 feet head-to-head.”
The 3 feet head-to-head rule was implemented last school year when students returned to school in October. The rule was recommended by the NC Safe Schools Toolkit.
Like the previous school year, COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students are still going to be available. There are already two planned for September, one on Monday, September 13 from 9:30 to 2:00, and one on Friday, September 17 from 2:00 to 6:00.
Even with previous safety procedures implemented this school year, students are still concerned about their safety, especially with the new influx of students this year.
“I am concerned about the distance between students in the classrooms and hallways,” junior Sophia Bateman said. “I feel like there should be a better system in place.”
Junior Freyja Tztotschew echoed the same concerns, “Last year I felt much safer with the smaller classrooms that gave us the opportunity to social distance, this year my classrooms are packed.”
While classrooms are more packed this year because of the influx of new students, Shepherd reiterated that school is still a safe place to be.
“We’re following all of the guidelines we get,” she said. “The NC Safe Schools Toolkit gives us a lot of the guidance we are having to fall under. If there are new recommendations that [the Safe Schools Toolkit] makes, we will definitely implement those,” Shepherd said.
The Safe Schools Toolkit is comprised of guidelines from the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and more. Originally published in 2020, the toolkit is updated regularly. It’s accessible to anyone online.
“Dr. Elliott and board members meet very frequently with Jennifer Green of the Health Department to assess where we are, and if there are any new recommendations to keep students safe,” Shepherd said. “We’re still putting in place every possible safety measure that we can.”
Comments