November 10, 2020
Dear Families:
Today at approximately 10:30am the District was notified of another positive case of COVID-19 at East Pike Elementary. This is the second case among our staff and the 3rd case in as many days. At this time, we are not entirely sure whether or not this case is related to at least one of the previous cases. 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.
This is the third case at East Pike Elementary of which we are aware. 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 6ft social distancing guidelines the Board of Directors has implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Contact tracing is currently underway, and we are assisting the DOH in their effort to make a final determination as to any students or staff who may need to be quarantined. Several students have been identified, and the families of those students who have been exposed have been contacted by the School Health Services or the DOH, and have been sent home as a precautionary measure. I encourage all parents to monitor your students closely and communicate with your family doctor if anyone in your household presents symptoms.
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, Eisenhower, or the Jr. High and have one positive active case at the IHS at the current time. We have been extremely fortunate to stay open thus far.
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. As the investigation in this most current case is not yet complete, Chromebooks, schedules, instructions, and work will be sent home with all East Pike students this evening. While we fully expect to be open on Thursday, we are doing our best to be cautious and plan ahead in case the current situation changes abruptly. This proactive measure will eliminate the need for families to drive to school to pick up materials for synchronous learning if we were to close.
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. 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