Oregon School District to close for 14 days because of COVID-19 outbreak

OREGON – All Oregon School District schools will be moving to remote learning for 14 days beginning Thursday because of the spread of COVID-19, Superintendent Tom Mahoney said this morning.

Districtwide, there are 14 positive cases, 132 close contacts out and 83 staff and students waiting for COVID-19 to be ruled out.

“This decision is based on quarantine numbers, impact on staffing and information from the Ogle County Health Department that indicates they have a clear picture that there is a spread of the virus occurring among students in the district,” Mahoney said.

If necessary staff is available, in-person learning will begin again on Dec. 3. All extra-curricular activities also will be placed on hold for 14 days.

The health department recently recommended all county schools cease in-person learning from Thanksgiving break until the end of the semester because of recent high COVID-19 case numbers and concerns about holiday gatherings.

At its meeting Monday, the School Board unanimously decided it would not follow that advice and would continue with in-person learning as long as it could.

The statement board President Bryan Wills read said the district’s decision did not mean a shift to remote learning wouldn’t happen during the period, as it now has.

The board said it won’t be preemptively making a decision to close as long as it has adequate staffing and no spread occurring in schools.

“What we developed to mitigate the spread must be balanced against its negative impact on our students and families when students aren’t allowed to learn and interact with one another in school,” Wills said Monday.

“Simply put, there is no evidence that students being in school is increasing the spread of the virus.”

That statement shows how fast circumstances can change amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic.