Southern to return to in-person learning Monday

After moving to remote learning last Thursday due to COVID-19 concerns, Ohio County Superintendent Seth Southard said Southern Elementary School will return to in-person classes on Monday.

The decision was announced last week after a number of staff and students either tested positive for the virus or were under quarantine, Southard said.

“Looking at the positive cases and those in quarantine, we got to the point we didn’t feel it was the best environment for learning,” he said.

At the time the decision was made, Southard said there was seven positive staff members and five or six quarantined – out of a school staff of 34.

“It also made it difficult to staff a building in such a way to be successful,” he said. “We felt like it was the right thing to do to keep everyone safe.”

The COVID-19 Dashboard located on the district’s website listed six Southern Elementary students with active cases on Friday. Southard said approximately 10% of the student body was under quarantine.

Southard said Tuesday that two staff members who tested positive have now recovered and three are out of quarantine and the list of staff quarantined should be decreased in time for Monday’s in-person classes to resume.

As of Tuesday, the district’s dashboard lists five staff members at Southern with active cases and five students. Cumulative (since Sept. 21) Southern Elementary has had six staff members and five students listed as recovered.

While there have been other positive COVID-19 cases in the district, Southard said Southern Elementary has been the hardest hit at one time.

Currently in the district, according to the dashboard on Tuesday morning, there are 21 actives cases in the district – 11 staff and 10 teachers. Total since Sept. 21, there have been 85 staff members and 82 students (three of those virtual or NTI students) who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Closing one school in the district while keeping the others open was an option that was planned at the beginning of the school year. Southard said while numbers in the schools seem to be low at the moment, it is always something that could happen again if needed.

Ohio County School District staff vaccines are expected to arrive Feb. 1, Southard said. The district is partnering with Walmart Pharmacy to distribute the vaccines.

Once the vaccines arrive, some staff members will get their vaccines at the pharmacy prior to a district-wide clinic held at the high school on Feb. 5 where approximately 200 vaccines will be distributed, he said.