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GCS Delays Start Of In-Person Classes For Pre-K Through 2nd Grade

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras talks about the district's decision to pause in-person classes that were set to begin on Tuesday. Screenshot: KERI BROWN/WFDD

Guilford County Schools is postponing the return of more students in pre-kindergarten through second grade. These students were scheduled to return to classrooms Tuesday.

Guilford Health officials say the COVID health metrics for the county is now in the red, which is considered high risk for transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At one point, the positivity rate was 6.5 percent for a 14-day stretch. Last week, it was more than 11 percent. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions are also trending upward. Superintendent Sharon Contreras says the reentry delay is frustrating for students, staff, and families.

“We need everyone's help if we want our children back in schools. That's the key message here. We can't control the spread of COVID-19 in GCS. We can only react to it.”

Iulia Vann, director of the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging the public to limit their exposure to people outside of their immediate family, exercise caution when restarting family activities, stay socially distanced and practice good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

Contreras says pre-K and kindergarten classes that have already opened on a voluntary basis will continue because the numbers of students and staff involved are small.

The district will get another update on community health metrics this Friday and discuss a potential return for next week based on that data.

Meanwhile, Contreras says the district is taking steps to help families.

“To help ease the burden on families we have already contacted the Department of Social Services to prevent the loss of childcare seats,” says Contreras. “The director of DSS Heather Skeens, has asked her staff to contact all daycares in Guilford County that receive county subsidies to continue to hold all childcare spots and continue services in both the subsidized and the extended childcare programs."

Meals will continue to be available for free for any child under 18 at grab and go sites.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib-news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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