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At the start of 2021, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the Chambers County School District was alarming — so alarming that the school district started the new year out with a week of virtual classes.

On Friday, a little more than three months after that board meeting, the CCSD reported just one positive case in the student and staff population.

For the first time since the first nine weeks of the school year, the CCSD reported zero student positive cases and only three quarantines. There was one positive staff case, but there are currently no staff members in quarantine.

“The numbers are just astounding,” Chambley said. “It’s just unbelievable how well our numbers have gone down, with our zero student cases and only three students quarantined. That is just unbelievable. We’re super happy with that.”

Chambley credits the staff and students for their cooperation to decrease the numbers.

“I think we attribute most of it to the vaccine and the vigilance of our nursing staff, administrators, teachers and students. [They’re] being very careful and cautious, and they know what to do. You very rarely see any of our students without masks on. I think it’s kind of become the new normal. The combination of that, being vigil and the vaccines. Our area and hospitals do such a great job of pumping out vaccines to our area and teachers.”

The CCSD will go on spring break starting on March 29. With students and staff potentially traveling for the break, Chambley hopes everyone will take caution, but from the information that he has seen, he is not expecting a large outbreak like the district experienced after Christmas break.

“We’re trying to get some normalcy back to our kids’ lives and back to their education,” Chambley said.

At her COVID-19 press conference on March 4, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the state’s mask order would remain in place until April 9. Though Chambley will talk with the leaders at EAMC and his head nurse for a final decision, he believes that the CCSD will require masks until the end of the school year.

“From the standpoint of talking with the officials at the hospital, even though the mask mandate runs out, we will more than likely continue to wear masks in the school system,” Chambley said. “We’re going to talk to the health officials and our head nurse, and I’m going to take their advice. We may start relaxing that in certain areas, especially outside. I think once we go into the classrooms, just to be safe for a little while, if I had to make a decision right now, we would probably continue to wear masks for a little while. I’m not ready to make that decision without consulting other people.”