Worth County High Principal discusses reopening campus

(SYLVESTER, GA) – The halls of Worth County High School are going to be packed come September 8th as they begin to welcome back nearly three quarters of their student body.

For new principal, Melissa Edwards, there have been some challenges she and the district have been working out to keep everybody safe and COVID-19 free.

She explains that, “We will have walk-through temperature checks, with scanners at the door which will be monitored by staff, which is neat. It’ll monitor about 70 temperatures a minute, with a sensor when you walk through.

Several measures are in place to help limit any possible exposure for students.

Edwards says one way they’re limiting this is through staggering schedules so there’s never more than a certain number of students in the halls at any time.

As well as allowing those hundreds of students to eat in reduced numbers during the day.

“In previous years, we have been on a seven period day. So we had two lunches, with about 425 students each lunch. Now we’re moving to a four by four block, so that brings our numbers down to around 150-160 students per lunch…,” says Edwards.

Principal Edwards has also discussed a change to visitation policies for anyone entering the school during the day, many of whom will not be able to proceed past the front lobby.

Edwards tells us, “Parents who are there to pick up or sign in their student will of course be allowed to come into the building, but they can’t come down the hall and into the classroom. That’s reserved for district personnel only at this time.”

Edwards says that all staff have already been supplied with PPE from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.