Jasper schools change reopening plans as the county is named ‘high risk’ for virus
Jasper County School District has postponed all sports practices “indefinitely” after the county was named “high-risk” for the spread of coronavirus in a Monday release from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Practices were slated to begin next week for Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School volleyball and football players. Superintendent Rechel Anderson announced those plans in a June 29 presentation detailing the district’s efforts to reopen schools in the fall with “hybrid” in-person and fully remote learning options.
At that time, Jasper County was considered “medium-risk” for the spread of coronavirus in DHEC’s weekly report on county-by-county risk. Anderson said then that if that status changed to “high-risk,” as it had in Beaufort County, the district “will consider remote/virtual learning for all students.”
District spokesman Travis Washington said Monday the district does not currently have plans to announce other changes to the fall reopening schedule.
“We’re going to be re-evaluating every time we get that report,” Washington said.
Beaufort County School District announced June 25 that it would postpone all sports practices and in-person summer school programs until at least July 20.
That announcement, prompted by DHEC’s ranking system, came less than a day after Beaufort superintendent Frank Rodriguez told school board members that practices and summer school would begin July 6.
If and when practices resume, they’ll be under “Phase I” of the South Carolina High School League’s plan, which allows teams to gather in groups of 10 or less to work out while socially distancing from each other.
Teams would not be allowed to use shared equipment, such as balls or weights, and could not use sport-specific equipment for the first two weeks of practice.
Coaches would have to wear masks, as would athletes when they are not working out.
Players would be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and temperature checked at the start of every meeting.