Brantley County

Students in Brantley County headed back to school on Thursday

Lacy Turpin’s daughters are heading back to school in Brantley County.

Only this mother has chosen to do virtual learning instead of in-person over fears of COVID-19.

“I don’t want to be a guinea pig. They don’t know how it’s going to affect [the students] or what’s going to happen,” Turpin said. “Keeping them home, we’re actually not going to be put in a scenario where they can come in contact [with coronavirus].”

The district told Action News Jax that 3,000 students headed back to school in Brantley County for in-person learning.

Meanwhile 420 students are opting to do virtual learning instead.

That’s about 12% of the school district that will be learning from home.

The school district said it is taking several precautions to keep students safe this year.

Superintendent Dr. Kim Morgan sent me a letter saying that both faculty and students are encouraged to wear masks inside school and to practice social distancing.

The district has also purchased cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer for every classroom and common area.

Dr. Morgan told me if a student or teacher gets sick each school has a designated area where they will be isolated until they can leave campus.

To make her daughters Alisen and Kadence feel like they’re back in school Turpin turned one of her bedrooms into a miniature classroom complete with desks and cubbies.

“We started just having fun with it. Going to Walmart and just picking up things. I went to Lowes and bought the little boxes and the spray paints,” she said.

Turpin says it gives her kids a sense of normalcy and they get to learn at their own pace.

The Brantley County School district told Action News Jax it will provide face masks to those students who don’t have any and want to wear one.

While the school district is encouraging parents to take their child’s temperature before they head off to school, the district has also purchased thermometers for classrooms to monitor how students are feeling.