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PHILIPPI -- Barbour County Schools officials announced Sunday that the school system will temporarily move to remote learning this week due to rising COVID-19 cases.
Barbour County Superintendent of Schools Jeff Woofter posted the following information on social media Sunday evening:
"Due to our infection rate rising to over 112, the number of Barbour County residents positive with the virus over 227, the number of staff that are either positive for the virus or quarantined due to contact with infected individuals, and the 85 students who are quarantined, we will be moving to remote learning for this entire week," Woofter wrote.
"We were already scheduled to be out of school this Friday and next Monday and we are hopeful that this time apart will give our sick and quarantined staff and students time to recover."
Woofter also provided information about obtaining meals for students.
"Those parents who need meals this week for their children are asked to call the Board office at 304-457-3030 and let us know how many students need meals. We hope to be able to get them delivered to Philip Barbour by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest for distribution," he wrote.
"All staff of Barbour County Schools will report to their work locations. Teachers will be using social media platforms and Google Classrooms for remote instruction. Paper packets will be developed for those students without reliable internet services. All employees will observe social distancing. Bus operators are asked to clean and disinfect their buses."
Woofter also addressed sports and other extracurricular activities.
"Because we are going remote, all extracurricular activities, including band and athletics, will not be permitted to practice or have any contests this week," he wrote. "I know how hard you all have worked to compete and I apologize for having to take this step.
"The Barbour County Fair was canceled in large part due to the potential strain that it would put on our healthcare centers. We hope that this brief pause will help our entire community."
On Thursday, Woofter posted, "As you know, our community is fighting a climbing infection rate and you have been picking up a great deal of slack by dropping off and picking up the children on the bus routes that have been canceled.
"We do not want to return to remote learning if at all possible. However, I asked our principals to make sure that our teachers worked to prepare our students to be able to work on assignments utilizing their Chromebooks in the event that one of the circumstances requiring remote learning were to occur."