More Hamilton County Schools announce switch to remote learning

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hamilton County Schools confirm a total of five schools in the district will be switching to remote learning next week:

REMOTE LEARNING, 8/30 through 9/3

• East Hamilton Middle School
• Ooltewah High School
• Sale Creek Middle High School

REMOTE LEARNING, 8/30 and 8/31

• Alpine Crest Elementary School
• Daisy Elementary School (School age child carewill be available for currently registered students from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days)

MASK OPT-OUT: IS THERE A CORRELATION?

One week after classes started, we obtained data from Hamilton County Schools showing the percentage of students choosing to opt out of wearing masks while on school grounds.

Here are those opt-out percentages for the schools listed above that are switching to remote learning for all or part of next week. The rankings based on a total of 72 schools in the district:

• Sale Creek Middle High School: 57.02% (1st)
• Daisy Elementary School: 23.75% (14th)
• Ooltewah High School: 22.32% (19th)
• East Hamilton Middle School: 18.85% (25th)
• Alpine Crest Elementary School: 10.3% (34th)

We have asked Hamilton County Schools for its most recent numbers for the mask opt-our rate at each school.

Chattooga County High School in Georgia also announced on Friday that students will be learning remotely all next week, according to Chattooga 1180 radio.

We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Read more of our coverage below.

EARLIER:

Due to rising COVID-19 cases, students at East Hamilton Middle School will switch to remote learning next week, according to a message sent to parents Friday morning by Principal Dr. Ethan Hildreth.

"Due to the percentage of students either with COVID-19 or in quarantine, we are shifting to remote learning for the entire school starting Monday, August 30 through Friday September 3," Principal Hildreth's message says.

Principal Hildreth reminds parents that students were already scheduled to be off on Wednesday, September 1st, due to a districtwide asynchronous learning day. On that day, students will need to complete assignments as posted by teachers, but they will not need to meet with teachers online, says Dr. Hildreth.

Hamilton County Schools' COVID-19 Data Dashboard reports on Friday that East Hamilton Middle has 19 active student cases, 248 active student close contacts. No staff members were infected.

While the dashboard shows other schools in the Hamilton County School District with 19 or more active student cases, at 248, East Hamilton Middle has the highest number of active close contacts by far, with no other school topping 200 active close contacts.

East Hamilton Middle School is the first school in Hamilton County to switch to remote learning in this way since the school year began.

According to current state regulations, while Tennessee Governor Bill Lee must officially declare a state of emergency for an entire district to switch to remote learning, state regulations do allow individual schools like East Hamilton Middle to make the switch under the School and Student Health Services emergency rule 0520-01-13(1)(d). Instead, it only requires that each district or public charter school adopt its own policies in accordance with this rule.

Read Dr. Hildreth's entire message to East Hamilton Middle parents below:

"Good morning East Ham Fam,

As you know, we highly value the health and well-being of our students, staff, and school community.

Due to the percentage of students either with COVID-19 or in quarantine, we are shifting to remote learning for the entire school starting Monday, August 30 through Friday September 3.

Students will need to be in attendance Monday through Friday next week, attending classes according to their class schedule on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. As a reminder, Wednesday, September 1 is a districtwide asynchronous learning day. On Wednesday, students will need to complete assignments as posted by teachers, but they will not meet with teachers online.

For Monday, students will receive direction from their teachers about how to connect with learning. Teachers will work with students today and Monday to help them readjust to remote learning.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teachers or EHM Instructional Coach Kara Rogers at rogers_kara@hcde.org with instructional questions, and please contact Nurse Angela Evington at evington_angela@hcde.org with health-related questions. I am of course available also.

Please stay tuned for a further update about athletics for next week, as we await guidance from district.

Thank you for your great support and understanding. Our school community is second to none, and we are thankful for you. Be well, stay safe, and enjoy a great weekend and week ahead.

With best regards for health and wellbeing,

Dr. Ethan Hildreth, Principal"

We have reached out to Hamilton County Schools spokesman Cody Patterson for comment on this story. He tells us he will be providing more information soon.

Depend on us to keep you posted on this developing story.

Read more: Hamilton Co. Schools student cases for August highest ever in the pandemic