Local school system closes due to high COVID-19 cases

CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn.– A West Tennessee school system is having to make adjustments due to COVID-19.

Those adjustments were discussed during a meeting Tuesday night, bringing school leaders and parents together.

Students with the West Carroll Special School District will not have class beginning Wednesday through Friday due to the high number of positive COVID cases in the school system.

“This break is to allow us to deep clean the schools in the system. It is going to allow us to better prepare to teach distance learning for students that are quarantined, to hopefully bring our students, faculty and staff back healthy and ready to resume the school year,” said superintendent Preston Caldwell.

Students will not be required to wear masks when they return to school, but instead it will be recommended, which has some parents concerned.

“I just don’t understand the point in telling someone if you’re vaccinated, even if you have had COVID, even while you’ve had COVID while you’re vaccinated, you can come back and you don’t have to wear a mask, but if you’ve had COVID, you not only have to quarantine, but now you have to wear a mask. What’s the point in that?” said parent Amber Alexander.

Caldwell says 15 percent of the staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and 41 percent of the students have been quarantined, and, while students are away from school, they will still have school work.

“Again, we’re trying also to reach those quarantined students and make sure they don’t get behind,” said Caldwell.

Caldwell says he’s hopeful students will be able to return to class on Monday, August 23.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, school board members also approved a motion allowing 10 days of paid sick leave for employees who get COVID.