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COVID-19 Data/Updates

Update 1/17/22:

Reminder: Schools will be in session at regular times tomorrow, January 18, 2022. Please wear a mask. The current policy of wearing masks will continue until we have no more than 2% positivity and 10% exposure rates in a building.

Thanks for your continued patience and support in helping keep our students and staff members safe and healthy.

We will continue to monitor staffing numbers. Our wish is to remain in school in person.

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Update 1/11/22:

Due to continued staffing issues system-wide and an increased number of confirmed cases and exposure of COVID-19, Eufaula City Schools will temporarily close buildings and switch to remote learning starting with some schools tomorrow and the rest on Thursday.

Students at Eufaula High School and Admiral Moorer Middle School will convert to an eLearning day tomorrow, Wednesday, January 12. Lunches will be available for middle and high school students to pick up at Eufaula High School on Wednesday, January 12, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

All schools will convert to eLearning days on Thursday, January 13, and Friday, January 14, and resume in-school learning on Tuesday, January 18.  No lunches will be served on Thursday or Friday.

All extracurricular events will be limited to 50% capacity.

We will continue our current policy of wearing masks unless we have no more than 2% positivity and 10% exposure rates in a building.

We appreciate your continued support and patience. Again, we are sorry to have to do this.

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Update 1/10/22:

Due to staffing issues system-wide, students at Eufaula High School will convert to an eLearning day on Wednesday, January 12, and should convert back to in-school learning on Thursday, January 13.  Lunch will be available for Eufaula High School students to pick up on Wednesday, January 12, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

In the event staffing issues do not improve, all schools will convert to eLearning days on Thursday, January 13, and Friday, January 14, and resume in-school learning on Tuesday, January 18.  A final decision about Thursday and Friday will be made by the end of the day tomorrow, Tuesday, January 11.

We are sorry to have to do this, but we have exhausted all other options. Although we want all students in school, our top priority is the health and safety of students and staff. 

We appreciate your continued support and patience.

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Update 1/7/2022:

Eufaula City Schools will follow new Isolation and Quarantine guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The updated guidelines are as follows:
A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 needs to Isolate in their homes for 5 full days after testing positive - returning to school on day 6 as long as they are fever-free and symptoms have improved. They also need to wear a mask for at least an additional 5 days when away from home especially when in contact with others.
If a person has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and the exposed person IS NOT FULLY vaccinated, the exposed person needs to quarantine for 5 days after the last exposure to the positive case. They can return to school on day 6 as long as they have not developed symptoms but will need to wear a mask for an additional 5 days. If the exposed person develops symptoms, they should continue to stay at home and be tested immediately. If the test is positive, notify your school nurse for further instructions. If the test is negative, they can return to school as long as they are fever-free for 24 hours and wear a mask for an additional 5 days.
A person who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and IS FULLY vaccinated does not have to quarantine as long as they are having NO symptoms. If the exposed vaccinated person develops symptoms, they should isolate and test immediately.
Reminder: Masks are required in our buildings during school hours and at any school event as well as on buses until at least January 14.
Please do not hesitate to call your school nurse if you have any questions.

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Update 1/4/2022:

We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Wednesday, January 5. 

Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Barbour County and our uncertainty as to the number of positive cases and exposures of students and staff members, masks will be required in our buildings during school hours and at any school event as well as on buses until at least January 14.

As recommendations from local and state health officials change and COVID-19 data changes, we may adjust protocols accordingly. We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 data and will use the number of positive cases and exposures as a guide to determine if masks are required or recommended at each individual school, with goals of no more than 2% positivity and 10% exposure rates.  

Please contact your child’s school nurse if your child has tested positive or been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Thank you, students, staff members and families for your continued support.

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Update 10/1/2021

Effective Monday, October 4th, Eufaula City Schools will no longer require, but will still recommend, the wearing of masks in school buildings. We will continue to require masks while on school buses. 

As recommendations from local and state health officials change and COVID-19 data changes, we may adjust protocols accordingly. We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 data and will use the number of positive cases and exposures as a guide to determine if masks are required or recommended at each individual school, with goals of no more than 2% positivity and 10% exposure rates.  

Thank you, students, staff members and families for your continued support. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s school nurse or principal if they have questions.

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Mask Update 9/17/2021

Plans were after September 20th to recommend masks rather than require them in our school buildings. Our plans were to use the number of positive cases and exposures as a guide to determine if masks were required or recommended at each individual school, with goals of no more than 2% positivity and 10% exposure rates. In most schools each week this school year, we have improved to meet these numbers; however, due to the number of positive COVID-19 cases for Barbour County and surrounding counties, I feel it is in the best interest of safety for students and staff members to continue requiring masks. This mask requirement will be reevaluated, and an update will be sent by October 1.

While I feel the numbers will eventually fall, this continuing strong presence of COVID-19 in our community disturbs me. We meet frequently to evaluate COVID-19 data and the impact on our students and staff members. We have considered how difficult it would be to close school for two weeks like some systems near us have had to do. As much as I do not like requiring masks, I am convinced we are doing the right thing. My goal is to make sure we can safely keep schools open with healthy students and staff members. 

As I stated above, our numbers have improved, especially our exposure rates, and this is in large part due to requiring masks. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, in the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were 3 feet or more from an infected student if both students were engaged in the consistent and correct use of well-fitted masks. If masks are not worn by both individuals, anyone within 6 feet of a positively tested individual is asked to isolate.

We follow the most current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Department of Education. We appreciate your help in keeping our students and employees safe by notifying the school nurse immediately if your child tests positive for COVID-19.

Eufaula City Schools is layering various prevention strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, and cleaning and disinfecting. Additionally, we recommend vaccination for anyone aged twelve and above. If you have not been vaccinated, please take advantage of the free community vaccine clinic taking place tomorrow at Eufaula High School from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

As always, we appreciate your patience as we work to prepare and educate the young people of Eufaula. Thank you for trusting Eufaula City Schools with your children.

Joey Brannan

Superintendent

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 8/25/2021 (Note mistake made in the total number of EPS students. Number has been corrected in the 9/3 Data.)

ECS COVID-19 Data as 9/3/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 9/10/2021 (Staff Included)

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 9/17/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 9/24/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 10/1/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 10/8/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 10/15/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 10/22/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 10/29/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 11/5/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 11/12/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 11/19/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 12/3/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 12/10/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 12/17/2021

ECS COVID-19 Data as of 1/7/2022

Letter to Parents of Close Contacts

 

Actualización de la máscara 17/09/2021

Los planes fueron después del 20 de septiembre para recomendar máscaras en lugar de exigirlas en nuestros edificios escolares. Nuestros planes eran utilizar la cantidad de casos positivos y exposiciones como una guía para determinar si se requerían o recomendaban máscaras en cada escuela individual, con metas de no más del 2% de positividad y 10% de tasas de exposición. En la mayoría de las escuelas, cada semana de este año escolar, hemos mejorado para alcanzar estos números; sin embargo, debido a la cantidad de casos positivos de COVID-19 en el condado de Barbour y los condados circundantes, creo que lo mejor para la seguridad de los estudiantes y miembros del personal es continuar requiriendo máscaras. Este requisito de máscara se volverá a evaluar y se enviará una actualización antes del 1 de octubre.

Si bien siento que los números eventualmente caerán, esta fuerte presencia continua de COVID-19 en nuestra comunidad me perturba. Nos reunimos con frecuencia para evaluar los datos de COVID-19 y el impacto en nuestros estudiantes y miembros del personal. Hemos considerado lo difícil que sería cerrar la escuela durante dos semanas, como han tenido que hacer algunos sistemas cercanos a nosotros. Por mucho que no me guste exigir máscaras, estoy convencido de que estamos haciendo lo correcto. Mi objetivo es asegurarme de que podamos mantener las escuelas abiertas de manera segura con estudiantes y miembros del personal saludables.

Como dije anteriormente, nuestras cifras han mejorado, especialmente nuestras tasas de exposición, y esto se debe en gran parte a que se requieren máscaras. Según el Departamento de Salud Pública de Alabama, en el entorno del aula interior K-12, la definición de contacto cercano excluye a los estudiantes que estaban a 3 pies o más de un estudiante infectado si ambos estudiantes participaron en el uso constante y correcto de máscaras bien ajustadas. . Si ambas personas no usan mascarillas, se le pide a cualquier persona que se encuentre a menos de 6 pies de una persona sometida a prueba positiva que se aísle.

Seguimos las recomendaciones más actuales de los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades, el Departamento de Salud Pública de Alabama y el Departamento de Educación de Alabama. Agradecemos su ayuda para mantener seguros a nuestros estudiantes y empleados notificando a la enfermera de la escuela inmediatamente si su hijo da positivo por COVID-19.

Las escuelas de la ciudad de Eufaula están aplicando varias estrategias de prevención para reducir la propagación de COVID-19 mediante el uso de máscaras, el distanciamiento social, el lavado de manos y la limpieza y desinfección. Además, recomendamos la vacunación para cualquier persona de doce años o más. Si no ha sido vacunado, aproveche la clínica comunitaria gratuita de vacunas que se llevará a cabo mañana en Eufaula High School de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m.

Como siempre, agradecemos su paciencia mientras trabajamos para preparar y educar a los jóvenes de Eufaula. Gracias por confiar en las escuelas de la ciudad de Eufaula con sus hijos.

 

Joey Brannan

Superintendente