[ December 15, 2020 ] UPDATED INFORMATION 12/16/2020

The district is providing additional information regarding our COVID-19 numbers within the system along with details about meals and information from schools.

? Pickens County School District has seen a spike in cases within the school district. There are currently (2:45 p.m. on 12/16/20):

o 451 individuals in quarantine or isolation
o 30 individuals who are positive for COVID-19
o 25 individuals who are awaiting test results

? Of the 451 individuals, 37 are employees and approximately 32 of those individuals would require a substitute. It would be extremely difficult to adequately cover these positions. The numbers reported above represent cases related to COVID-19 and do not include those who might be absent for other reasons. The total number in quarantine/isolation represents close to 10% of our school district population.

? Pickens County School District is the largest employer in our area. Seeing first-hand the sudden spike in numbers of positive cases within the system, we believe that remaining open would continue to increase the burden on our local healthcare providers.

Here is a comparison from yesterday morning to this afternoon:

Date | Positive Cases | Total Q/I | Total Employees Out

12/15 @ 7:30 am | 13 | 370 | 17

12/16 @ 2:45 pm | 30 | 451 | 37

Christmas is important to our school staff and students. All elementary schools along with Jasper Middle School will host their classroom Christmas parties on Friday, January 8th. If your child did not bring their gifts, ornaments, etc. home with them yesterday, teachers will be reaching out between now and Friday. If you have questions, you may call your child?s school.

? Meals for students: Bus Routes (see PDF of schedule) and curbside service (11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.) at all schools will be available on Thursday ONLY. Students will receive meals for Thursday and Friday.
? If you have any questions, please reach out to your school administrator or the district office.

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12/15/2020 - There are several important pieces of information in this release. Please read the information carefully.

? Due to increased health concerns and a rapid spike in COVID-19 cases in our community, Pickens County School District will be implementing distance learning for the next three days (12/16/20 ? 12/18/20). Distance learning assignments will be posted on the itsLearning platform and devices will be sent home with students. If your child does not bring home their device, please contact your child?s teacher or the school office to make arrangements to pick-up the device.

? On Wednesday, December 16, 2020 inclement weather is expected in our area. All staff should report at 10:00 a.m. Staff will also be reporting to their work locations the remainder of the week and should adhere to safety protocols already in place regarding masks and social distancing.

? Meals will be available curb-side at all schools tomorrow, Wednesday, 12/16/20, from 11:00 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. We will share more information tomorrow regarding meals on Thursday.

? An adjustment has been made in the return date for students following Christmas break. Students will return to school on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 due to the fact that many of our schools serve as voting precincts. Monday and Tuesday (1/4/21 and 1/5/21) will be teacher workdays for staff.

We appreciate your support as we continually work to keep our students and staff safe. Updated information will be provided on the Pickens County School District website, the Infinite Campus parent portal, our district website, social media site, and sent to local media.