Three East Alabama schools transition to remote learning as COVID numbers rise
Students at Smiths Station High School Alabama will transition to remote learning for two weeks after the school announced that COVID-19 numbers are continuing to rise.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, school officials said that students will work virtually from home and staff members not quarantined or COVID positive will report to the school building beginning Wednesday. “Blended learning” will take place until Sept. 7.
Breakfast and lunch will be served through the back door of the cafeteria at Smiths Station during remote learning. Breakfast will be served from 8:15-8:45 a.m. and lunch will be served from noon-1 p.m. All students must remain in their vehicles for service.
The announcement comes after Lee County Schools mandated face coverings and masks for students, employees and visitors in all schools starting Monday. The district said in a letter that there have been 193 new COVID cases since Aug. 9, the first week of school.
Beulah and Wacoochee elementary schools are also following a blended learning model until Friday. School officials canceled all extracurricular activities at the elementary schools until Aug. 30.
Lee County has a high level of community transmission with a 21.9% positive rate in new COVID tests in the last seven days, according to the Alabama Department of Health’s COVID-19 data tracker. There is no data available for COVID numbers in Alabama schools K-12.
