As Schools Break, More Than 4,000 Students, Employees Infected With COVID-19
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Palm Beach County School District is now closed until Wednesday. The closure was pre-planned. Labor Day is Monday, and the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah is Tuesday. These are traditional vacation days for students.
When students and teachers return, they will do so knowing that at least 4,054 of their friends and coworkers are now infected with COVID-19. The count, which started on the first day of school just four weeks ago, is already higher than the count logged during the entire 2020-2021 school year. More than half of all students took part in distance learning for the entire 2020-2021 school year, never stepping foot in a Palm Beach County School District building.
But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this year banned “distance learning,” forcing parents to send their kids to school, or initiate the withdrawal process from the Palm Beach County School District to enroll their children in the state-run virtual academy.
There is no option to stay in your “home” school district and learn remotely this year.
With crowded classrooms and hallways, Palm Beach County School officials are now enforcing the district’s mask mandate. Students who refuse to comply face several penalties leading up to suspension. Despite the feigned outrage by a small group of vocal parents, school officials tell BocaNewsNow.com that virtually all students are compliant.
Among the schools Sunday with notable case counts: Boca Raton High reports 95 COVID-19 cases, Seminole Ridge High reports 116 cases, Olympic Heights High reports 53 cases, Wellington High reports 96 cases, and Jupiter High reports 115 cases.
The school district acknowledges that its official count is often three days behind “reality,” as it takes several days for the Florida Department of Health to confirm cases that are reported to school officials.
We’ll publish the complete infection list when school resumes on Wednesday morning.
