Henrico Schools’ health committee meeting Jan. 4 could impact return plans

Henrico County elementary school students whose families opted to return them to school for in-person learning are scheduled to be back in classrooms in two weeks, but that timeline could depend upon what the school system’s health committee has to say next week.

The committee will meet Jan. 4 to review COVID-19 data and the school system’s mitigation plans, then is expected to recommend to Superintendent Amy Cashwell and the Henrico School Board whether it supports the existing timeline for a return or believes a delay is necessary.

In-person learning is scheduled to begin Jan. 11 for those kindergarten through second grade students and Jan. 14 for third, fourth and fifth-graders whose families chose the option. Secondary school students who elected to return would do so Feb. 1 (sixth and ninth graders) and Feb. 4 (all others).

In-person learning was scheduled to begin Nov. 30, but prompted by an update from the health committee, Cashwell opted Nov. 16 to delay the return until next month, citing rising COVID case counts.

On the day she made her announcement, the county had tied its single-day record for new COVID cases at 81 and was experiencing an average of 49 new cases a day and 14.9 cases per 100,000 people.

In the weeks since, by seemingly every metric, the county’s numbers have multiplied. Henrico now is averaging 131 new cases each day during the past week and its case rate per 100,000 is nearly 40.

Two of the three “core indicators” established by the Virginia Department of Health to assist local school divisions in deciding when a return is safe have increased significantly since Nov. 16, as well.

The total number of new cases per 100,000 people during the past 14 days in Henrico is 555.8 – more than double its total of 216.2 Nov. 16. Both levels are considered “highest risk” from a transmission standpoint. The percentage of positive PCR tests during the past 14 days is 8.8% – up from 5% Nov. 16.

The third core metric is an assessment that each school division must make itself, weighing five sets of mitigation strategies, including an ability to maintain social distancing and sufficient supplies of PPE, among other objectives. Henrico officials have expressed confidence previously in their efforts to meet those five standards.

To date in December, the school system has reported 42 cases of COVID in school facilities, including 19 cases reported Dec. 16 and 17, just before winter break began. in total since Aug. 12, there have been 131 confirmed cases of COVID in 62 of the county’s public school facilities.

The new cases included two apiece at Deep Run and Freeman high schools, which have reported six total cases each since August – the most of any buildings.

Cases were reported for the first time at five schools: Gayton Elementary, Trevvett Elementary, Moody Middle, Short Pump Middle and New Bridge Learning Center.

The only schools that have yet to report a COVID case since August are Davis, Glen Lea, Kaechele, Mehfoud, Sandston, Short Pump and Ward elementaries; Hungary Creek and Pocahontas middles; and Tucker High.