On August 4, 2021 (revised August 6, 2021), the West Virginia Department of Education released its School Recovery & Guidance Fall 2021 document. Marion County Schools will continue to work with the Marion County Health Department and Administrator Lloyd White in making informed decisions to meet the needs of our students, families, staff, and communities. We will continue to put supports in our schools for social-emotional wellness, recovery of instruction, and measures to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. As we work together to reset and return to a sense of normalcy after 18 months, we know that face-to-face instruction is an integral aspect of this recovery for our students.
Marion County Schools will continue to enforce the key mitigation strategies that were in place in 2020-21 and as outlined in this document. These are just sound, preventative practices that we are prepared to continue with supplies, protocols and trainings already in place.
In the coming days, Marion County Schools will release information about vaccination clinics and informative sessions with our athletes that will be offered in each of our high school feeder areas through partnerships with the health department and providers. As we know, medical information and reports are updated daily related to COVID-19 and the Delta variant. In consideration of this, Marion County Schools will make additional, more specific announcements related to masks in our classrooms and schools as we get closer to the return of our staff (August 18) and the opening of school for grades 1-12 on August 24.
At this time, our local health department is recommending masks regardless of vaccination status due to an increase in cases and the Delta variant. Our students and staff who are transported via school bus for summer programming are required to wear masks while on the school bus.
Dr. Donna Hage, Superintendent