Escambia County (Ala.) School Superintendent John Knott said he and the school board knew it was going to happen. They knew when school started, COVID-19 would appear within the walls of the schools in the system.
Three employees at Flomaton High School tested positive and the school acted quickly. They got the students out of the old middle school wing, moved them to the auditorium on a Thursday and told them not to come back until Monday. Thursday afternoon and Friday the building was cleaned and parents were contacted.
When we talked to Knott before the opening of schools he told us that protocols were in place, but he also told us that while there was a county-wide protocol, each school may be different.
As he told us this week, you can write down all the rules, regulations and protocol dealing with COVID-19, but things change and school officials have to change and react quickly.
We've been impressed with how Flomaton has opened its schools. FHS Principal Scott Hammond is there every afternoon and every morning cleaning and sanitizing.
Hammond acted quickly last Thursday when they learned of the employees' positive tests. Did he follow a protocol put on paper weeks ago? We don't know, but we do know he had the health and safety of the students and employees at the top of the list.
The town of Flomaton also had an employee test positive this week and the town acted swiftly to make sure that other employees and people utilizing town-owned properties were informed and protected.
We applaud the school system and the town with its transparency in announcing positive tests and reaching out to let others know as well.
Things have changed daily since COVID reared its ugly head and things will continue to change daily until we get a grip on this virus. What works today might not work tomorrow. But we're confident our local leaders are taking every step possible to keep us all safe.
