Positive COVID tests at FHS addressed

Three employees test positive; seventh and eighth graders sent home; building cleaned and students returned Monday

Three employees at Flomaton High School tested positive for COVID-19 last week, resulting in the old middle school wing of the high school to be closed and seventh and eighth grade students sent home. Those students were back in class Monday morning.

Escambia County School Superintendent John Knott said last Thursday the seventh and eighth grade students were sent to the auditorium and spaced out. Parents were called to pick them up and those students were told not to return until Monday.

Knott said a professional cleaning crew was brought into the old middle school wing to completely clean and sanitate the area.

Knott said overall, the opening of school has gone well.

“It's not without little problems here and there, which was expected,” Knott said. “We knew we would be making changes in plans. You can put it on paper, but you never know. So we had to make some adjustments.”

He said it's been difficult in developing and delivering instructional options that include virtual learning and students in the classroom.

“It's not easy to develop something like that over a two to three year period,” Knott said. “We had to do it in a few months.

Knott did say that the employees who tested positive in Flomaton were wearing masks and were practicing social distancing. He said school staff even looked back at video to check.

“Proper protocol was followed,” he said. “We contacted all parents and there was no indication the 6-foot barrier was broken.”

Knott said COVID-19 has been found in other county schools, including some students and immediate steps were taken.

“We fully expected this to happen,” Knott said. “We have adjusted our plans and if there's any potential exposure, we contact the parents immediately.”

Knott said as of Friday across the Escambia County School System, 48 percent of the students have opted for virtual learning. He said Flomaton had the highest number of students attending school.

He also said the deadline for parents to decide on traditional or virtual learning has been extended to this Friday. Open enrollment to make that decision again will be after the first nine weeks.