CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — Going back to school wasn’t an easy choice for many families. Some parents on the First Coast say they felt like they didn’t have an option.
In Camden County, parents are complaining about the school district's policy requiring students to do in-person school in order to take part in extracurriculars.
For students who have been playing sports or an instrument their whole life and waiting for maybe a college scholarship, they had to choose – go back to school and risk my health or stay home and risk my future?
”You’ve probably seen the viral photo of Paulding High School. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what our high school looks like," said parent Kiisa Kennedy.
The district said more than 70 percent of students in Camden County returned to brick and mortar schools. Kennedy says her 16-year-old son was among the students back in class.
“I posed that to the board. I said you’re forcing him to choose between what he’s been working for all this time and his future and his health and the health of his family," Kennedy said.
Her son has been playing football for nine years. As a junior in high school, Kennedy says this is the year her son could get recruited by a college and they didn't want to give up that opportunity.
The school district spokesperson Phoebe Floyd said in an email “The Camden County Schools administration determined if families are not comfortable with in-person instruction then they cannot also choose to have their child return to our campuses for extracurricular activities where they will be coming in close contact with students who have opted for in-person instruction.”
The Turner family says the policy is unfair. “(Our daughter) has done band since 6th grade and she’s played instruments prior to that so it’s really her life. It’s her lifestyle," said mom Shavon Turner.
She says her daughter is a sophomore in high school. They decided to send her back to school so she wouldn’t lose the opportunities that come with this.
“It should’ve been an option where she could’ve participated or participate remotely," Turner said.
This policy is not common in our area. Six other counties on the First Coast (Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Glynn, and Ware) allow their virtual students to participate in extracurricular activities like sports, band, chorus, and more.