CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Schools is set to return to in-person learning five days a week on Monday, marking the first time since mid-December.
Following a blended learning model from Jan. 19 to Feb. 8 to begin the spring semester, the 54% of county students who signed up for in-person model will gather together.
Tom Williams, Kanawha County Schools Superintendent told 580-WCHS that he believes this will point students in the right direction.
“Nothing beats an in-person teacher. These kids will be face to face with a teacher for the first time since December. It’ll make a big difference,” he said.
Williams said the blended learning model, a hybrid schedule consisting of in-person and virtual lessons, used for three weeks allowed time for school staff to be vaccinated.
As of Friday, Williams said around 2,800 of the county school system’s 3,800 employees received at least the first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Williams added by Monday that 900 staff employees will have had the needed second dose.
The next three Fridays will consist of vaccination clinics for school employees to receive the first dose or their scheduled second dose, which comes 28 days after the first.
Williams noted a handful of employees have opted to not receive the vaccine.
“Hopefully we are going to have less folks test positive for COVID. As the school year ends, hopefully, it can end in a normal way. We will have to wait and see,” Williams said.
Kanawha County has been in the gold category on the COVID-19 alert map for the past week, meaning moderate virus spread in the county but below the levels the county had seen in the orange and red.
Williams said should there be an outbreak in a school or classroom, the county will act. He said especially for a classroom in an elementary school where the students stay in all day, a closure of the classroom would take place.