As many of you are aware, there is a definite increase in cases of Covid19 in our county. This, in turn, has also increased the number of persons who have had close contact with positive cases. Unfortunately, our communities’ school-age children and staff are being affected by this increase and it has caused a rise in absences due to these cases and close-contact quarantine orders being issued by the Adams County Health Department. Example: due to the number of students either having Covid19 or being quarantined because of close contact, one of our local high schools (Peebles: grades 7-12) will be switching to remote/virtual learning until further notice.
The Adams County Ohio Valley School District’s Board of Education has not mandated that masks must be worn in schools and is trusting that parents, students, and community members can work together to reduce the impact on students and help keep our kids learning in-person within our schools. Based on compliance with current Ohio Department of Health guidelines, a person who is identified as a close contact within the classroom setting, has worn a mask consistently, and has no symptoms, is less likely to be required to quarantine. By voluntarily wearing a facial covering in school, we can reduce the number of school absences.
Rich Seas