"I don't' want to go because I'm scared of getting it," said Jaimes' eighth-grade daughter.
Schools in Jefferson, Georgia, welcomed students back into the classroom Friday -- the first in the state to reopen for in-person learning. The four schools in the district, which are among the top-ranked in the state, have approximately 4,000 students enrolled in PK-12.
On this first day of school, elementary school children were seen holding their parents' hands. Teachers waited for kids being dropped off. High school students greeted each other with hugs.
Indeed, at the high school many of the students were wearing masks, but just as many if not more were not wearing face coverings.
At the elementary school, most students seemed to enter the building with masks -- but not all.
"I know that there are guidelines for children's safety, but still, as a parent you're always concerned about your children, but we hope in God that everything will be alright," said Jaimes. She is now looking into whether she can still register her eighth-grade daughter for virtual learning.
The school system is allowing students to continue learning from home, and 5% have enrolled in virtual learning, according to Jefferson City Schools Superintendent Donna R. McMullan.
Yolanda Payne, whose son is in the fourth grade, chose to continue remote learning. Payne lost her father to Covid-19 in May. "This thing is real. This is right here," said Payne. The loss was a major factor in her decision.
"He's going to be virtual because he's asthmatic, and I can't take that risk. That's already an issue, an underlying condition. I can't take the risk of sending him back to school and getting Covid. It's just not worth it to me," said Payne.
On Thursday, Yolanda went by the Board of Education to pick up a laptop for her nine-year-old son.
Jefferson City Schools say they'll implement the "Covid-19 Operational Guidelines" they've created in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Department of Public Health, and Georgia Department of Education recommendations.
Random temperature checks may be conducted, though students are expected to check their temperatures before going to school and stay home if they have a fever or are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms.
Schools will maintain social distancing "when feasible," and mealtimes will be coordinated to minimize the number of students in the cafeteria and allow for extra cleaning. Face masks are strongly encouraged, but not mandatory.
"It's scary because we don't know who's going to wear one and who's not. Someone could have it and not know and be asymptomatic and still spread it and not wear a mask. There's still so much unknown," said Hope Terhune, a 12th-grade student at Jefferson High School. Terhune and classmate Rylee Meadows started a petition for the Board of Education to mandate masks.
But an opposing petition was started soon after, asking that students be given the choice to wear a mask, or
