More schools go virtual as COVID cases rise; Edisto High, Bamberg 2 join list

Orangeburg County School District issued a notice to parents on Monday that Edisto High School is moving to 100% virtual learning through next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

It will transition back to in-person learning on Jan. 18.

OCDC announced Sunday that Edisto Primary and Carver Edisto Middle schools are going virtual during the same time period.

Teachers and staff will continue to report to work in-person.

The district said Sunday that there are a number of schools struggling to maintain regular operations amid growing numbers of teacher and nurse absences.

“We will continue to work together to keep schools open to our students and families, and are grateful for the flexibility and teamwork of our students, families, teachers and staff as we navigate these challenging times together,” Assistant Superintendent for Communications and Business and Community Partnerships Merry Glenne Piccolino said in the release.

Piccolino could not be reached for comment by the close of business Monday.

Bamberg 1 and 2

Bamberg County School District 1 previously announced it was moving to online instruction. District 2 also moved to online instruction Monday, with plans to return to in-person learning on Jan. 18.

“Bamberg District One and Two moved to online instruction this week (Jan 10th – Jan 18th) primarily due to staff shortages across various departments including teachers, aides, bus drivers, and other support personnel,” District Superintendent Dr. Dottie Brown said.

“We are seeing an increase in COVID numbers amongst students and staff,” she said.

“Staff shortages reached a level that impacted our ability to serve students optimally in an in-person format, thus our decision to return to online learning,” Brown continued. “We hope to resume in-person instruction as soon as it is safe for all to do so.”

The district will monitor the COVID-19 situation throughout the week and plans may change, depending on staff availability.

Administrators and teachers are expected at schools unless they are sick or their children are sick.

About 20 students tested positive and 14 teachers tested positive in District 1 through Monday.

About 101 students have had close contact, requiring them to quarantine, while five teachers have had close contact and are required to quarantine.

Twelve students and seven teachers in District 2 have tested positive. Currently, 28 students and two teachers are in quarantine in the district.

Calhoun County Public Schools

Calhoun County Public Schools remained in-person as of Monday afternoon, according to George Kiernan, Calhoun County Director of Human Resources/Operations and Facilities.

As of Jan. 10, about 40 students tested positive and 14 staff tested positive. There were about 137 quarantined students and 11 quarantined staff districtwide.