TEACHER PROTESTS

FORT MILL, S.C. — Teachers in Fort Mill wore red and voiced their opposition for the fall reopening plans at the school districts’ buildings Tuesday evening.

The teachers had a motor march and then spoke with the school board at its meeting, asking the district to follow CDC and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control guidelines by offering virtual classes until it’s safe to teach in-person.

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"Has there been enough study are the children safe?" counselor Lisa Ross said.

Ross, who has been a counselor for 28 years, said she's worried about COVID-19, not just for herself but for her parents.

“My father is 84, and my mother is 78, and I am one of the primary caregivers for both of them,” Ross said.

In South Carolina, parents have the option to choose whether they send their students to school five days a week for in-person classes or attend virtual classes.

According to the Fort Mill District survey, 42% of the district’s teachers feel comfortable coming back to school in-person. In a release, teachers said most prefer to teacher remotely, but even those with underlying health conditions have not been guaranteed remote learning positions.

District officials went down a long list of items purchased to keep students and teachers safe, which included masks, shields and sanitizer.

“They should have the option to be virtual teachers,” parent Dana Boutwell said.

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Teachers are also pushing for the district to move the start date back from Aug. 3 to Sept. 8 in order to prepare for the school year.

The board agreed Tuesday night to move the start date to Aug. 31.

“Right now, many teachers in Fort Mill are thinking about resigning from the jobs that they love,” Ali Tracy McHenry, who was named Teacher of the Year at Finley Road Elementary in Rock Hill in 2018 and now teaches in Fort Mill, said. “Schools should only be reopened when we aren’t risking the safety of students, teachers, and support staff like bus drivers and nurses.”