November 12, 2020
Dear Families:
Today at approximately 12:30pm the District was notified of another positive case of COVID-19 at East Pike Elementary. This case is not related to the previous cases that I wrote to you about on November 10. The Department of Health (DOH) is currently working with the school nurse and administration throughout this process to identify and communicate with all families that may be affected. As you know, the DOH has the authority and final determination to quarantine staff and/or students.
Additionally, it is important to let our families know that the student who was identified as a “probable positive” case was tested for COVID-19 and his/her results were negative. Thus, our total number of cases at East Pike remains at 3 total positive cases.
I am recommending we stay open based on the following rationale:
- This decision still falls within the guidelines of our IASD Safety Plan where we indicated a range of 2-4 cases could result in a 3-7 day closure.
- This scenario is reflective of the benefits of the hybrid model as well as the 6 ft. social distancing guidelines the Board of Directors has implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus.
- The cases are not related to one another.
Additionally, the District was notified late last night that a third party employee who was at the Jr. and Sr. High has tested positive. According to the information we have received, no staff had direct exposure/close contact with the individual, and at the current time, only 1 student from the Jr. High will need to be quarantined.
The decision to remain open or close is not one we take lightly. Please understand that a temporary closure could occur in the near future at East Pike or any of our schools if the rates continue to rise. We take a great deal of time to look at each incident in a thorough manner as the details vary for each case. That is exactly why we built in the ranges that we did. In this case, we are still within the 2-4 range as identified in our Health Plan; however, our ability to remain open is fragile. We have no known active cases at Ben Franklin, Horace Mann, or Eisenhower. The Junior and Senior high each have a positive active case at the current time.
If we were to close, please note that this action would be taken out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to avoid exposing students and families, to eliminate the potential for spread, as well as to avoid a longer and more disruptive closure. If we were to close, your children’s education would continue through live online instruction.
My intention is not to scare you or cause panic; rather, my goal is to make you aware of the fact that a possible closure could occur if our numbers continue to increase. We will do our best to communicate the details of closure as far as advanced as possible, however, the situation we are working in changes by the minute.
I realize that these are difficult times with the increased pressures the pandemic causes, and there are no guaranteed right or wrong answers at times due to the varying beliefs, attitudes, and opinions on the matter. On behalf of the entire District, please know we are doing all we can to remain open to provide educational programming to our students with safety at the forefront of our decision-making. As the holiday season approaches, your diligent efforts in speaking with your child about the need to wear masks, social distance, and washing their hands frequently are needed more than ever. If your child is ill, please keep them at home. We thank you all for what you have done already and thank you for the work that is to come. We truly appreciate you all.
Respectfully,
Mr. Michael J. Vuckovich
IASD Superintendent