North Putnam implements COVID guidelines; all district schools closed through Sept. 7
ROACHDALE — Due to concerns with the school corporation’s COVID positivity rates, masking and closure guidelines have been put in place at North Putnam Schools.
In the latest development since the guidelines were adopted, all schools in the district will be closed through Tuesday, Sept. 7 because of the rate of positive cases and quarantining.
With dissenting votes from Amber Greene and Mark Hoke and an abstention from Board President Travis Lambermont, the North Putnam School Board approved these new guidelines during a special meeting Thursday.
In the same motion, the board also approved for a dashboard to be posted on North Putnam’s website with the positivity percentage for each school in the district. Superintendent Nicole Allee said this would then be updated every Wednesday.
North Putnam is the second county school corporation to implement masks after Greencastle Schools started requiring them beginning Aug. 16.
The positivity rate corporation-wide, as well as those in the individual school buildings, will determine closures and the masking requirement going forward. With her recommendations to the board to implement the guidelines, Allee provided that they were aimed at mitigating the spread.
Masking will be required when the corporation-wide positivity rate is above one percent, with it becoming optional if it falls below this. As it stands at two percent, the requirement which was implemented on Friday will be in place for a minimum of two weeks.
All students and staff will be required to wear masks inside school buildings except for eating and drinking and during strenuous activity. Masking is already required on school buses per a federal mandate.
Meanwhile, school buildings will be closed for five days if their positivity rate is at three percent or more. A school would also be closed if the quarantine rate is at 20 percent or more. Allee added that other factors including cafeteria staff, teacher or bus driver shortages would be taken into account.
Extracurricular activities scheduled for affected buildings would also be canceled or suspended for the closure period. There is also an expectation that students in those buildings would not attend extracurriculars at others.
As to outside organizations utilizing facilities at North Putnam, Allee said at the meeting las that the school corporation would not control their own guidelines given that there is not a county-wide mandate.
With Corporation Treasurer Tanya Pearson absent, Corporation Attorney Darren Chadd and Administrative Assistant April Lambermont joined Allee and the board for the meeting.
Allee stated in a video message Thursday afternoon that the positivity rates for the prior week were as follows: Bainbridge Elementary School at 3.5 percent; North Putnam Middle School at three percent; North Putnam High School at 0.5 percent; and Roachdale Elementary School at less than 0.5 percent.
For the corporation-wide masking requirement, the one-percent threshold would be exceeded if there are 14 positive cases.
With the understanding that these numbers will be fluid, the three-percent threshold at individual schools means the following:
• North Putnam High School (444 students enrolled): 14 positive cases
• North Putnam Middle School (336): 11 positive cases
• Roachdale Elementary School (213): seven positive cases
• Bainbridge Elementary School (376): 12 positive cases
“We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are trying to keep as many students in school — in person — as possible, and make decisions based upon only the buildings that are impacted,” Allee said in the message.
Due to their positivity rates, Bainbridge Elementary School and North Putnam Middle School were closed and due to return on Sept. 7. This is accounting for the three-day Labor Day holiday.
It was announced Monday afternoon that North Putnam High School and Roachdale Elementary School would also be closed until Sept. 7.
Allee told the Banner Graphic that the high school was at a 21-percent quarantine rate. Though its quarantine rate stands at 14 percent, it was decided to move Roachdale Elementary School to virtual learning given its smaller number of students.