On Thursday, students at Marlboro Academy returned to school campuses for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shut down in-person instruction in mid-March. The 262 students had a first day back with masks, temperature checks and social distancing. Above, Regina Lackey, administrative assistant, checks the temperature of a student. At right, Headmaster Joe Critcher greeted students as they arrived by bus.
 

As Marlboro County School District officials prepare for the upcoming Learn, Evaluate, Analyze and Prepare (LEAP) days on Aug. 24-28, they are also preparing for the safety of students, teachers and staff. 
Last month, board members approved Sept. 2 as the first day of school.
All students in grades 4K-12, even those enrolled in the Virtual Academy, must be involved in LEAP days. Students will be brought back on a staggered schedule for teachers to do assessments and for devices to be distributed.
At the recent Board of Education meeting, Chief Officer of Auxiliary Services Herbert McNeil shared about the purchase of personal protective equipment.
“This isn’t a cheap venture to take care of these kids but you can’t put a price on no one’s health,” he said.

Marlboro County and Sandhill Telephone Cooperative officials are working on funding to improve broadband access in the area.
County Administrator Ron Munnerlyn updated council members Tuesday night at their monthly meeting.
Marlboro County is ranked the worst of all the counties in the state in regards to broadband access. 
Officials are working on an application to the South Carolina Broadband Infrastructure Program. The program was created to provide high-speed broadband internet access to unserved South Carolinians who have been directly impacted by COVID-19. 
Impacted communities or households are those hindered in their ability to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 due to a lack of broadband (as defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standard of 25/3 Mbps download/upload speeds), thus limiting access to online learning, healthcare via telehealth and limiting one’s ability to work from home.

A cheerleader at Marlboro County High School has tested positive for COVID-19, Marlboro County School District officials said in a statement on Tuesday.
District officials, who were notified on Tuesday, said they have disinfected all areas that they believe the cheerleaders may have been present and all practices have been canceled until further notice.
Although all social distancing precautions were in place, school officials have notified the parents of all students involved with the cheerleading squads. 
Each has been notified to take the necessary quarantine protocols as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Everyone is encouraged to continue to follow the guidelines of social distancing, constant and consistent washing of the hands, and wearing a mask at all times when possible. 
Officials said they will continue to do all that they can to ensure the safety of the students and staff but will need the support of the community.

The American Red Cross held a socially distanced blood drive Tuesday in the parking lot of Marian Wright Edelman  Public Library. Officials only allowed three donors  inside at a time to donate. Here Angela Bears, left, has her blood pressure taken by phlebotomist Carolyn Braddy before donating. Officials said 23 donated with 19 units collected. The ARC is testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms. Test results will be available to donors via the Blood Donor App or at RedCrossBlood.org within seven to 10 days. To donate, visit the ARC website to sign up for a blood drive. Upcoming blood drives include 2:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Marlboro Academy; 2-7 p.m. Sept. 18 at McColl Pentecostal Holiness Church; and 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at S.C. Department of Transportation.