The Perry County School District issued a news release to local press early Monday morning outlining the district's policies on dealing with potential COVID-19 infections at the school in Perryville.
Three hours later, the district issued a notice informing parents that a staff member at the Perryville Primary Center — which serves students in grades pre-K through second — had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"[The staff member has] been quarantined per health department guidelines," reads the letter issued by district communications director Kate Martin. "This staff member has had no interactions with students."
The first day of school at PCSD is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26.
In the letter, Martin also stated that during the contact tracing investigation by the Perry County Health Department, three additional staff member were identified as close contacts of the individual who tested positive and have begun self-isolating.
"District personnel will clean, disinfect and sanitize all areas of the building affected," Martin said in the letter. "We will continue to follow all guidance from the Perry County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect everyone’s health and safety."
Martin told the Republic-Monitor on Monday that the identification of a positive case does not change the district's plans for the first day of school and the affected staff will have substitutes while they are being quarantined or in isolation.
Perry County Health Department director Sylvia Forester said her staff has been in in constant communication the school district throughout their planning process for the new school year.
"We're definitely committed to helping them contact trace and everything," Forester said. "We have good channels of communication open between all the schools."
In Monday's earlier release, Martin outlined the district's policies regarding notifying parents about the possibility their child had been exposed to COVID-19 while at school.
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"Perry County School District 32 has partnered with Perry County Health Department to streamline our processes for sharing that information," Martin said.
According to the release, when a lab-confirmed positive case that impacts students and/or staff is reported to District 32 by the health department, the district will provide all necessary information to assist the health department in conducting contact tracing, led by the school nurse in the affected building.
The district will provide seating charts, parent names and contact information to the health department to help health officials determine who may be close contacts to a positive case. Close contacts are those who were within 6 feet of the positive person for 15 continuous minutes or longer.
"The district has put procedures in place to limit the number of people who will participate in this process or have access to this information, in compliance with federal privacy laws and district policy," Martin said.
If, during the course of the contact contracting investigation, the health department determines that students or staff were close contacts to a lab-confirmed positive case while on campus or on a school bus, the parents of those students and the staff members will be contacted by the health department, which will provide information about isolating, symptoms to watch for, and provide an anticipated date of return to school.
Earlier this month, the state Department of Health & Senior Services issued an order to all local health departments instructing them to prioritize contact tracing involving students from age 3-21, an order that will remain in effect until June 30. The order makes no provisions regarding school staff, but states, "The local public health agency shall prioritize notifying the COVID-19 school point of contact for the individual, so that the school may assist the local health authority with expedited contact tracing. If a school is notified of a relevant positive COVID-19 test result, the COVID-19 school point of contact will immediately notify the local health authority."
At no time during this process will the district or district employees share the names or other personal identifying information of any students or staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 or determined to have been a close contact with a positive person, in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
In the event of an identified case, the district will contact affected families with updated educational plans, particularly if a class is temporarily moving to 100-percent online instruction because of staffing shortages.
"If that becomes necessary, we will strive to give parents as much notice as possible," Martin said. "However, it is possible that advanced notice will not be possible, so we urge parents to have alternate arrangements for their children prepared in advance."
Martin said the district is making an effort to recruit more substitute teachers and bus drivers, a move aided by an emergency ruling by the Missouri State Board of Education that will make it easier to become a substitute teacher.
According to the new rules, prospective substitutes must be at least 21 years old and possess a high school diploma or equivalent. They will also have to complete a 20-hour, state-approved online course to be eligible for a substitute certificate.
"We are excited that DESE has created this plan to address the potential shortage of substitute teachers due to COVID-19," said PCSD assistant superintendent Jeanie White in a release issued Friday.
Martin also stressed that parents of students will also play a role in helping mitigate the spread of the virus. On Sunday, the district released a guide regarding a daily health screening form that must be completed each day for each student. Many parents were supplied with these forms already, and students whose parents did not receive a pad of screening forms will be provided with on Wednesday.
Any student who does not have a completed health screening form — signed by a parent or guardian — will not be allowed to board a bus, exit a vehicle at parent drop-off or enter any building on campus.
"As always, please monitor your family for symptoms of COVID-19 and stay home if you’re sick," Martin said. "Maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet between persons, wear a mask, and practice good hand hygiene."
