Two of five school board members in opposition
By a split decision, the Chesterfield County Public Schools’ health panel decided to move forward with Project Restart by bringing Cohort 4 back into school buildings.
The decision – which was announced at the school board’s Oct. 27 meeting – will allow any sixth- through ninth-graders who weren’t already attending school in-person to begin doing so two days a week on Nov. 9.
In reaction to the panel’s decision, two members of the five-person school board voiced their objections: Clover Hill member Dot Heffron and Midlothian member Kathryn Haines.
Nick Oyler, the school district’s coordinator of student health services, noted that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Chesterfield health district had increased over a two-week period from 113.6 per 100,000 to 181.5. This result was still in the “orange” range from two weeks previous. The district uses green, yellow, orange and red to measure readiness and ability to respond to the coronavirus.
Oyler also said that the test positivity rate for the virus had increased from 4.7 percent to 5.8 percent. This took it from “green” to “yellow.”
The third factor — the school district’s readiness to implement five mitigation strategies — was still in the “green” range.
He called the health panel’s decision difficult and noted that it relied on secondary data to make the decision. He noted that county health officer, Dr. Alexander Samuel and county risk management director David Johnson both supported bringing the fourth cohort back.
Heffron noted the school district’s overall health readiness score — on a scale of 1 to 5 — had increased from 2.66 two weeks prior to 3.0, which is at the beginning of the “moderate risk” category.
“Three would indicate a pause” in returning students to school, she said. Heffron asked why the health panel overrode the Virginia Department of Health’s guidelines in making the decision. “I’m still looking for the math to add up on this,” she said.
Although there’s been an uptick, the data is not sufficient to pause the return of Cohort 4, Oyler said.
Haines noted the 3.0 score was “right on that line” between “lower risk” and “moderate risk.”
One of the secondary indicators the health panel used was the hospitalization rate in the region, but Haines called that a “lagging indicator.”
“Two weeks ago, the health panel said we would adopt VDH guidelines. I feel the decision has been reversed,” she said. “We could have had some greater discussion as a board if we had not turned over decision-making to a health panel that has not been present and accessible for questions. The process hasn’t been transparent.”
In addition, Haines said, “I had the assumption we’d have a nurse placed in every school, but parents have reported there’s not.” Oyler replied that the district only had two more nurse positions to bring “on board,” adding that was supposed to happen by Nov. 11. “There is coverage for each building,” he said. Oyler noted that the tech centers at Hull and Courthouse share a nurse, but added that his office is located at CTC@Hull so he can provide coverage if needed.
Haines also spoke of a two-to-three-day delay to get a doctor’s appointment in the county. Oyler said the county is close to getting results from COVID-19 tests within 24 hours on average.
Board members Ann Coker, Ryan Harter, and Debbie Bailey all supported the health panel’s decision.
Harter noted that, although the current test positivity rate went up, it is still lower than when the first cohort was brought back to school buildings.
“Today’s recommendation and decision will make half of the people thrilled and half very upset,” said Bailey, who represents the Dale District. “That’s the way this has gone throughout this entire pandemic.” Noting that she is a former government teacher, Bailey said: “I have put my faith and confidence in your panel. I support what you’ve done.”
Heffron asked that superintendent Merv Daugherty bring forth a memo that thanks the panel for volunteering, but moves future decisions to the school board.
Bailey, the board chair, agreed. “From this point forward, it will be up to” Daugherty and Oyler and state health department metrics, she said.
Bus drivers needed
The school board heard an update from transportation director James Frye.
“We’re still hiring bus drivers,” Bailey said during the discussion.
Noting the district has at least 60 bus driver vacancies, Haines cautioned parents who choose to have their students return to school buildings on school buses. They should give bus drivers “grace,” she said, noting they may experience “double backs” due to the bus driver shortage and social distancing requirements on buses.
“I’m a mom of four,” Haines said. “I’m going to be driving four kids to school. It’s going to be a nightmare. I do not want to do this. It’s really hard.”
Assistant superintendent Tom Taylor noted the district is also hiring teachers and substitute teachers.
CARES funding
Robert Meister, the school district’s chief financial officer, gave an update on the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds that the district has received.
That total is almost $45 million, he said. However, it will be a struggle for the district to spend all of it by the Dec. 30 deadline in a fiscally prudent fashion. Meister said he would likely be recommending the district return $10 million to $11 million to the county to use for other coronavirus relief needs. He said the district got $10.9 million from the state “very late,” on Oct. 9.
The school board’s next work session is at 4 p.m. Nov. 10, and it will be followed by a business meeting at 6:30 p.m.
