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Ohio County Schools Dealing With Staffing Concerns as COVID-19 Cases Remain High

Photo Provided – Ohio County Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones participates in an Ohio County Schools Safety Committee meeting.

WHEELING — Ohio County Schools administrators don’t want to cancel school as the number of employees infected with the omicron variant continues to increase, even if it means sending central office staff in to run the buildings.

Recently, the omicron variant and health concerns forced all office staff at Madison Elementary School to remain home for a few days. Walt Saunders, assessment and federal programs director for Ohio County Schools, and Raquel McLeod, student services director, were at the school those days serving as substitute staff. Both are former principals at the school.

Classes weren’t canceled, and students were able to remain in their classrooms.

Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones said the school district is hoping to soon see a decrease in the number of COVID cases and quarantines among employees.

“I have major concerns about staffing,” he said. “We haven’t hit the place where we’ve had to cancel, but the calls I’m getting from principals are increasing, and the number of people out is increasing. If this keeps going up, there will be decisions to make.

“Every day, we have a lot of people out. We’re trying to work it out. Staffing is a concern, but we also don’t want to sacrifice safety. Canceling school would be our absolutely last choice, but at some point we might have to cancel.”

Jones said central office staff could be shuffled to take duties at other buildings if needed, even he or Superintendent Kim Miller.

“Kim and I would be the last two to go, because somebody has to stay here and run the show,” Jones said. “But if we have to go, we will.”

One area of concern is continuing to serve breakfast and lunch to students, according to school officials. Renee Griffin, child nutrition director for Ohio County Schools, said she has not had an issue yet with her staff having to call off from work.

“We do have an extensive list of substitutes, and we would make it work,” she said. “Whatever we needed to do to make sure kids get fed, we would do it.”

The Wheeling Park High School cafeteria serves as the central warehouse for food preparation in the school system, though some of the schools in the county do prepare food on site.

Griffith said the schools followed strict protocols for food handling even before the pandemic as they pertained to maintaining food temperatures, hand washing and training of employees.

“We’re a department that hasn’t had to do much to change,” she said.

David Crumm, operations director for Ohio County Schools, said his employees are continuing to make certain school buildings are cleaned on a daily basis. Sanitizing pellets and bi-polar ionization units are used, he said.

There are still hand sanitizing stations in the schools, and masks are available to anyone who needs them.

“If an area needs cleaning, everyone (staff) helps out,” Crumm said. “It’s a 24/7 process keeping the schools clean, and everyone pitches in to help.

“We are at a heightened level (for vigilance against COVID) right now, and we’re making sure we are taking care of everything on a daily basis. The cooks help out to sanitize tables in the cafeteria, the bus drivers and mechanics get involved and all pitch in to make sure our facilities are sanitized and ready to go. It’s a total county effort,” he said.

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