COVID Updates as Recommended by DHEC
On March 1, 2022, the Colleton County School Board voted to repeal Policy ADD (Protective Face Covering) during a special board meeting. For more information on Colleton County School District's current COVID-19 mitigation strategies, please read the special message from CCSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Vallerie Cave below.
Dear CCSD Families and Staff:
Thank you for your trust and cooperation as we continue to manage the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its emerging variants. We want to thank you for your support that has helped us keep our doors open 5-days a week for in-person learning. We know that our students want and need to be in school. Your commitment to safety has made this possible.
Our entire team has been closely monitoring the school system's case numbers and we are pleased with the significant decrease in our quarantines and positive cases in the last four weeks. While there is a downwards trend in Colleton we still remain in the high incident rate category. The good news is we are trending downwards.
CCSD has remained committed to listening to health professionals and utilizing a thoughtful approach for the implementation of our safety protocols to include the use of layered mitigation strategies and making appropriate adjustments to account for the changing conditions of the pandemic. Based on declining transmission rates within our schools and community, and the high level of vaccinations among our staff, we have decided to move to optional face coverings (Mask Optional) effective immediately for all students and staff while inside any school or facility.
While face coverings will be optional, we strongly encourage staff and students to consider the use of a mask while indoors. We ask that you continue to wash your hands frequently, maintain appropriate distance where possible, disinfect high touch surfaces, and avoid large gatherings that could be potential super-spreader events. Also, staff and students should stay home when sick and monitor for symptoms of Covid-19. Contact your school nurse with questions and to seek guidance as to when a sick child should return to school. Taking these simple precautions is the best way for us to continue in-person learning.
Staff will continue to monitor positivity rates for Covid-19 and make appropriate adjustments in the spirit of safety to ensure our schools remain open and operational. The District will respond to positive COVID cases and may implement quarantine protocols when necessary.
Again, we are thankful for the partnership with our families and students, teachers and support staff, our business partners and health advisors for helping us stay safe and stay open for in person learning. Our efforts have helped to keep more students in the classrooms and participating in sports and other activities. We remain committed to providing in-person learning 5-days a week through the end of the school year.
Sincerely,
Vallerie C. Cave
Superintendent of Schools