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By JOSELYN KING
Staff Writer
WHEELING -- Students and staff in Ohio County Schools are using nearly 30,000 face masks every 30 days, and all personal protective equipment purchased for students and staff is costing Ohio County Schools about $30,000 a month, according to Superintendent Kim Miller.
Miller reported the ongoing expenses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic at Monday night’s board of education meeting, during which members of the public also weighed in on whether students should be returning to full-time classroom learning.
There are currently 3,289 students physically in classrooms throughout Ohio County Schools as the school district now is following four-day-a-week in-person learning for all students.
Some families still have chosen to keep their children at home for remote learning, and total enrollment in the district is 5,049, according to MIller.
"Our students are coming back," she said.
"We're really happy about that. The kids are wearing masks. They are social distancing as much as possible, and our service staff has done an amazing job of keeping our schools clean. They continue to update throughout the day, and we are very thankful."
Information provided to the board by Miller stated the school district’s usage of various PPE items during the course of a month.
The information listed 30,000 masks used each month; 2,000 face shields; 600 gallons of hand sanitizer; 2,640 packs of paper towels; 12,000 tabs for ionizers; 64 hand-held ionizers; and 39,000 pairs of gloves.
The approximate monthly cost for PPE’s in the school district is $28,227, and it is likely to be an on-going monthly expenditure for the foreseeable future, according to Miller.
Three members of the public also addressed the board with their thoughts on Ohio County Schools moving to four-days a week of in-school learning.
Jeremy Radabaugh of the West Virginia Education Association said the WVEA has delivered a list of concerns to the board, and he detailed those at the public forum.
He said teachers across the state are concerned there isn’t enough social distancing happening between students, especially now that all are in school at one time. There also isn’t enough PPE items available, according to Radabaugh.
“Most members feel the employees -- including the custodial staff -- are not well-equipped,” he said.
Teachers also are concerned about the increasing number of hours they put in each week planning for both in-school and remote learning, and that the quality of education is suffering, Radabaugh said.
“Some school systems and right-wing politicians have decided to go against the workers and their safety concerns, and this is the result,” he said.
Tega Toney, vice-president of American Federation of Teachers for West Virginia, said Ohio County Schools is one of the largest entities in the local community. In turn, the exposure potential is considerable within the schools.
She said the AFT-WV is concerned about social distancing when all students in the classrooms.
“We would like to urge the Ohio County Board of Education to consider using a blended or hybrid model to minimize possible exposure, keep the staff and students safe, and give staff, students and parents more stability in a more controlled environment,” she said.
“This will not only provide a safer school environment, but it also will be essential for setting the school system up for a successful year further out.”
Community member and parent David Delk, meanwhile, urged the board to get students back to a five-day in-school week.
“I guess you can count me as a right-winger who wants to go back to school five days a week,” he told them. “It is very disappointing that our State Superintendent (Clayton) Burch required each county to have its own individual platform, because we have an individual platform in Ohio County that makes it logistically impossible for students in Ohio County to go to school five days a week. They are stuck at four days.
“Health-wise, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be back in school five days a week. I urge this board to get our kids back in school five days a week as soon as they can….The "gloom and doom" crowd shouldn’t be winning this fight, and they don’t appear to be because our numbers look good.”
Miller said she and the central office staff are working hard to secure additional funding to compensate staff for the extra hours they have put in during recent months. She discussed the matter with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, on Monday and plans to speak with U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley, R-West Virginia, next week.
“We value our teachers. We want our teachers delivering curriculum and we are fortunate to have such an amazing staff,” she said.