Parents protest outside of the SDPC administration building on Monday.
Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress
PICKENS — A protest was held at the School District of Pickens County (SDPC) administration building on Monday morning by parents and their children in response to the Board of Trustees’s decision to temporarily suspend in-person classes following a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in students and staff.
According to the district, in the first nine days of school, 163 students tested positive for the virus. Additionally, 634 students were quarantined following exposure, according to SDPC officials.
Parents and kids began to show up around 8 a.m. outside the admin building, many carrying signs reading “Face to face or nothing” and “My 2nd grader can’t read.”
Josh Young, Assistant Superintendent for Pickens County Schools, came out of the district office and told the crowd he understands the parents’ concerns and is working to get the children back to class.
“The district assures you that your voices have been heard and we are working diligently for the safe return of students face to face next Monday,” Young said. “Again, we appreciate everyone’s concern and we understand the inconvenience of this week as we work to make decisions to take care of all of our students and our employees.”
In addition to the protest, a petition on change.org had gathered over 4,380 signatures as of Tuesday morning.
“Shutting our schools down and sending our children back home in a virtual environment is unacceptable,” reads the petition started by Amanda Rollins. “It’s proven that being present in a classroom is the best way for young minds to grow and be successful students. School District of Pickens County and its board members do not reflect the desires of the majority of parents in this county.”
“In an executive session meeting today they chose to go to virtual learning starting next week,” reads the petition. “The data that was the basis for this decision is shocking. There’s a total of 16,373 students in the county with 163 total positive cases … 0.99%. There’s over 1,000 teachers with an unknown number of faculty and staff. The total number of positive employee cases is 26 … roughly 2% or less. There is a total number of 634 students in quarantine. The total number of employees in quarantine is 30. Quarantines do not equate to positive tests, so why are they included in the statics?”
“It should also be mentioned that State House Bill 704 signed on April 22, 2021 by Governor McMaster states ‘all schools should offer five day face-to-face instruction.’ Based on an interview with a district employee and a local news station, the board knowingly violated this bill signed by the governor,” it continues.
“Before 2020, people got sick, went to a doctor, stayed home, and got better. It was normal life,” the petition states. “Now that the world is so scared of germs, it’s keeping our children from being able to learn and grow and be able to reach their full potential. The parents should have a choice of how their child receives their education. Why not implement a waiver of liability for parents to sign for their student to remain in the classroom that releases the school/district from any legal liability?”
“Stand with us and tell this school district that we, the parents and guardians of these school age children, WANT OUR KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!,” it concludes.
The district announced on Sunday night in-person classes would resume next Monday.
Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.