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Classes Begin Online for Watauga County K-12 Students and In-Person for Appalachian State University Students

By Nathan Ham

Monday marked a back-to-school moment that many students and parents will never forget. Watauga County Schools returned with virtual classes to open the fall semester while Appalachian State started its fall semester with a mix of in-person and online classes. 

Freshmen and returning students crowded the roadways last week to move into campus residence halls and off-campus rental properties in preparation for the school year. 

Students and staff at App State are required to wear face coverings while in classrooms and all other locations where social distancing is not possible. 

For the public school system, Watauga had initially planned on a “2×3 Flex Schedule” where students would go to class for in-person instruction two days a week and online instruction three days a week. However, as COVID-19 positive infections continued to increase in the county, the school board returned to entirely online instruction. 

As of Monday, there are 31 App State students and 8 employees with active COVID-19 cases. Those numbers will be updated daily online