99% Of HCPSS Staffers Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — An estimated 99 percent of the approximately 9,300 staff members with Howard County Public Schools have received their COVID-19 vaccine. Staff members were vaccinated through the Howard County Health Department, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Giant Pharmacy, along with private practitioners who administered the vaccine directly to their patients who are staff members.

"I am thrilled that we were able to move through all four staff vaccine tiers on a much quicker schedule than we had originally anticipated. We know that there are approximately 90 staff members who were not eligible to receive a vaccine during the times when school system-sponsored clinics were offered due to medical or other reasons. Some staff members indicated a need to wait to be vaccinated for medical or other reason," HCPSS Superintendent Michael Martirano said during Thursday night's school board work session.

HCPSS now has more than 9,000 students engaged in in-person learning.

"It’s been my pleasure to visit schools to help welcome returning students and it’s heartwarming to witness so many more of our students and teachers reconnecting, including kindergarteners who are coming to school for the very first time," Martirano said.

On Monday, students in third through sixth grade and ninth through 12th grades will return to the classroom March 29, along with students who participate in CTE courses at the ARL. On April 12, students in seventh, eighth, 10th and 11th will return to the classroom in a hybrid model, too.

Martirano shared during the Thursday night work session that the return to in-person learning hasn't been without its hurdles.

"Staffing availability continues to be a challenge, which principals are addressing at the school level through strategies such as combining classes, use of newly-hired substitutes and classroom monitors, and coverage by administrative teams and central office staff where needed to fill gaps," he said.

While the district has not experienced a complete network failure, the district has been making an effort to conserve bandwidth while dealing with in-person and at-home learning simultaneously.

When there is a suspected COVID-19 case in a building, the Howard County Health Department performs contact tracings on any positive case. School administrators work with health department staff to inform parents and staff who may be affected, Martirano said. A classroom outbreak is determined when at least two confirmed COVID-19 cases crop up among students, teachers or staff within a 14-day period and who are epidemiologically linked, but not household contacts. A schoolwide outbreak is determined after three or more classrooms have outbreaks or five percent or more unrelated students, teachers or staff have confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14 day period. A state-defined outbreak does not automatically necessitate closure of a classroom or school, however, Martirano said.

"With the return of students and staff to classrooms and extracurricular activities, it is critical that everyone strictly follows the health guidance in place to keep students and staff safe and able to continue to provide in-person opportunities. It is important that open communication exists between households and the school," he said.

Students who refuse to wear a mask will face consequences, Martirano said.

"School administrators will consider the offense one of disrespect, which ranges in response from a level 1 teacher response to a level 3 administrative response in our code of conduct. The definition of 'disrespect in the code of conduct includes language about insubordination and being repeatedly or persistently disrespectful in defiance of authority. The feedback we are receiving from principals indicates that our students have been complying well with our masking expectations," he said.