You asked us questions about COVID-19 in Horry County Schools. Here are the answers
Horry County Schools (HCS) is coming up on a month of classes being in session, and it’s been a tumultuous ride as the coronavirus spread has caused building closures, numerous questions and fierce debates.
The district has more than 9,000 students in quarantine as of Friday, and more than 2,000 students and staff members have tested positive for the virus since HCS started collecting data at the beginning of the school year.
There are a lot of questions about the district’s practices and protocols as students head back for another unpredictable pandemic-era school year. The Sun News asked readers to submit their burning questions at the end of August, and reporters worked to answer them.
Are students and staff required to wear masks at HCS?
HCS doesn’t have a mask requirement in place for staff or students.
Why isn’t there a mask requirement for staff and students in Horry County Schools?
A proviso built into the state budget by the S.C. General Assembly prohibits school districts from enforcing mask mandates. Some districts in Charleston and Columbia have defied the state law and voted to require face coverings anyway, but HCS spokesperson Lisa Bourcier told The Sun News the district wouldn’t require masks.
If districts defy the law and require masks, they risk losing funding to the district, which Superintendent Rick Maxey addressed in a message to parents and teachers.
“We have to ask ourselves, ‘Where will we get nearly a quarter of a billion dollars locally to operate our public schools for the 2021-22 school year?’” Maxey said.
When will HCS allow students to choose to switch to virtual learning due to COVID-19 spread?
Students and parents made the decision to attend class virtually or in person at the end of April, before the highly contagious delta variant sparked a new wave of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations that has overwhelmed health systems in the Myrtle Beach area. But the district won’t allow students to switch, largely because of logistics, Bourcier told The Sun News.
Around 1,600 students opted for the fully virtual option this school year, according to Bourcier.
If students were allowed to switch, the district would need to consider scheduling and staffing changes, Bourcier told The Sun News last month.
How many schools in Horry County are doing virtual learning as of now?
Five HCS schools switched to distance learning, meaning classes are held online, so far this year. As of Monday, the five schools — Aynor Middle School, Conway High School, Loris Middle School, Ten Oaks Middle School and Whittemore Park Middle School — are all back in the building for class.
Originally, the distance learning protocol was to have two weeks of online class, but updated policies on quarantine times for students and staff have shifted the plans. Unless the staff or student has a positive COVID-19 test, is showing symptoms or has been a household contact, they can return to the building after 10 days under the new procedures.
Is a temporary switch to virtual being considered given the rapid spread in the schools? If so, at what point?
HCS considers virtual learning on a school-by-school basis, which is why some schools have been moved to virtual learning for two weeks while others are continuing in-person instruction. The district hasn’t established a rate of cases or quarantines when the district as a whole would move to virtual classes, according to Bourcier.
Why did HCS spend millions to install plexiglass barriers last year then take it down this summer?
In October of last year, the state education department provided funding for plexiglass barriers to help students return to school safely. At the time, physical barriers were endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the use of this type of barrier before it reversed course in March 2021, when new evidence suggested they weren’t helpful.
The district removed the barriers over the summer, and they were gone before classes began August 17.
Why are people without symptoms only quarantined after exposure if they’re unvaccinated?
HCS conducts contact tracing to decide who needs to quarantine if they’re exposed to someone who is COVID-positive. Part of the contact tracing is considering a person’s vaccination status when they are exposed.
CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated people indicate they should get tested if they have close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, but don’t need to quarantine unless they develop symptoms or get a positive test. HCS follows this part of CDC guidelines during the contact tracing process when deciding who should and shouldn’t quarantine.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated five HCS schools were currently conducting distance learning. The schools have all returned to class as of Monday under revised quarantine protocols, and the story has been updated.
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 6:59 AM.
