By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — When Trussville City Schools start back in August, Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill has an assignment for parents: Be the first line of defense to combat the spread of coronavirus.
During the Board of Education meeting on Monday, July 20, 2020, Neill specifically asked parents to screen children before sending them to school.
“I think being hypersensitive to all of the symptoms is important,” Neill said.
A fever isn’t always a symptom of coronavirus, and symptoms are different for people and Neill said that is problematic for school leaders.
“The state has asked us to urge parents to be the first point of screening,” Neill said. “…That’s where we’re at today is for parents to be the first point of screening to help us prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Board members voiced concerns about sending children to school if the children feel bad or feel tired.
“In these days now, if your child says they don’t feel well you are going to be more prone to say, ‘Okay we don’t need to send you to school, you could be contagious,” board member Kim DeShazo said. “I think that’s another aspect that parents are thinking about is from the attendance standpoint, of being mindful of being respectful of, ‘We need to be in school if we can,’ but at the same time being more in tune of how our children feel.”
Neill said there is a special attendance policy across the state. If parents write school administrators a note explaining the child had COVID-19 symptoms, the absence wouldn’t be counted against the child.
“We have a special COVID-19 attendance code for absences that allows the parents to keep them home without penalty if they have the COVID-19 symptoms,” Neill explained.
The entire BOE work session and regular meeting were streamed online at www.TrussvilleTribune.com and on The Trussville Tribune Facebook page. You can watch the video below.