Western School District Continues In-Person Learning Despite Positive COVID Test

By Benjamin Cox on August 27, 2020 at 5:46am

A West Central Illinois school is forging ahead with in-person learning despite a student testing positive for COVID-19. WGEM reports that officials at the Western School District in Barry said a student tested positive over the weekend, causing them to shut down a classroom, but not the whole school.

The exposure notification was sent out to parents via voicemail on Saturday by the school district. Western School District Superintendent Jessica Funk told WGEM that they have shut down the student’s classroom for cleaning and sanitation. Funk says they have been working in cooperation with the Pike County Health Department to contact trace and to clean the school in the interim. Funk says classroom size is approximately 9 students each on average so classes are adequately socially distancing.

WGEM’s report says that teachers in the district are glad that the administration has decided to not shut down the entire school. WGEM says that Funk would not indicate which school district building the positive test occurred in, but all students, teachers, and parents have been notified, and those who need to be are in isolation at home. She said this has no impact on sports or extracurricular activities at this time. Funk said all students in that classroom, along with the teacher are remote learning.