All Sprunica Elementary students will attend classes remotely for the last two days before winter break, as school leaders learned of two additional cases of COVID-19 at the school today.
The two new cases push Sprunica past the 20-percent point of COVID-related absences, which means the school goes directly to “red” status. On Monday, with one COVID case, the school had 17.5 percent of students or staff absent because of COVID exposure.
A message went out to parents via phone and email this afternoon about the change.
“This means that all SES students will be 100% remote instruction on December 16th and December 17th. Teachers at SES are sending activities and materials home today with the students for instruction on 12/16 and 12/17. Their assignments will not be posted on Canvas,” the message read.
“Students at SES are forecasted to return to school on the Green Level of the plan on Monday, January 4th.”
Sprunica is the first elementary school to go on “red” status. Until this past Sunday, no confirmed COVID cases had been detected in local elementary schools.
Here are the current statuses of all other schools in the district:
- Helmsburg Elementary: Green, in-person status
- Van Buren Elementary: Green, in-person status
- Brown County Intermediate School: Red, 100-percent remote status until Thursday, Dec. 17, when students can go back to school in person for one day. Winter break starts on Friday, Dec. 18.
- Brown County Junior High School: Yellow, hybrid status, with half of students going to school in person and half on remote every other day.
- Brown County High School: Yellow, hybrid status, with half of students going to school in person and half on remote every other day.
The district is tracking COVID-related absences, symptom reports and COVID cases in all buildings on a spreadsheet that is updated daily. You can view that data on the district’s website under the “Daily Metric Report” tab.
“We will work to provide meal kits for all remote learners and will release more information about food service distribution when it is available,” the parent message said, signed by Superintendent Laura Hammack, Principal Shane Killinger and Corporation Nurse Holly Gordon.
“We regret the inconvenience of this necessary transition. Please communicate your questions/concerns and we will work to address them as soon as possible.”
