The Washoe County School District (WCSD) wants to remind people that COVID-19 is still an issue we're seeing in our community. A surge in cases continues to impact area schools.
WCSD says a number of its schools are on distance learning because of exclusions due to the coronavirus.
- Reed High School and Marvin Picollo Elementary are full distance learning until November 30
- Spanish Springs High School was put on one day of Distance learning Friday, November 6
- Gerlach and Innovations High School will reopen Monday, November 9 after being on distance learning
Updated WCSD COVID-19 Dashboard
"We're being very cautious with exclusions to make sure when we get that call, when we have a positive, until we get the information from the contact tracers, we're going above and beyond and doing more aggressive exclusions." said WCSD's Superintendent Dr. Kristen McNeill.
McNeill says positive cases reported by the school district does not necessarily meant that individuals contracted the virus at school sites. She says the school district will continue working with the county on contract tracing efforts. During a COVID-19 update on Friday, she wanted to continue reminding the community to follow safety protocol, to help slow the spread of the virus during flu season.
"I just want to continue to reiterate that we all need to be following the protocols as far as face coverings in public, no large crowds, making sure that we do everything we can to keep safe." said Dr. McNeill.
"We will obviously have our furnaces going as well too, but I would strongly recommend, as did Mr. Martin when we were talking about that on the buses, that our students should bundle up when they're walking to school, when they're at the bus stop, when they're on the buses and in their classrooms as well too."
During Friday's COVID-19 update, McNeill also mentioned an issue the school district has been seeing aside from the virus.
"We're having some significant concerns across our schools for the number of students that are out," Dr. McNeill said.
According to WCSD, schools are having a problem with excessive absences. McNeill says the problem with attendance isn't exclusions. The issue stems from an increase of students not going to school or participating in learning models.
"Our chronic absenteeism is up to about 33% of our students that have been chronically absent from school. And that is on all learning models. Distance learning, hybrid and in person." said the superintendent.
According to McNeill about 20,000 students have missed more than 10 school days. Some of that number could be attributed to exclusions.
McNeill said, "I have a feeling that it's more on the disengagement side than on the illness side."
McNeill is urging families to communicate with schools whether they have a concern about going to school in-person or if they're having trouble accessing distance learning courses.
"Our district is working on a communications campaign to make sure that our students know that we want them here, they need to be present, we want them engaged, and we definitely want them to know that they are supported." McNeill said.
The school district says in-person enrollment has increased in the last few weeks.
- 24,070 students are attending school in-person
- 18,474 are on the distance learning model
- 19,394 students are on the hybrid model
