COVID-19 numbers trouble Oconto Falls School District

Rising numbers of sick students, staff are cause for concern
By: 
Warren Bluhm
Editor-in-chief

Oconto Falls School District officials are keeping a wary eye on a growing number of COVID-19 cases among students in the early days of the 2021-22 school year.

During the school board meeting Sept. 20, Superintendent Dean Hess said that, on Aug. 31, the district had three students who tested positive for coronavirus. Compiled every Tuesday afternoon, that number grew to five students on Sept. 8, 16 students Sept. 14, and was expected to be above 30 when this week’s numbers were posted Sept. 21.

“It’s important to note the number of positive cases continues to rise in our school district,” Hess said.

Also rising is the number of students absent for illnesses of any kind since the school year began Sept. 1. As of Sept. 8, there were 30 students out, a total that grew to 91 on Sept. 14 and was more than 130 on Sept. 20, when the board met.

Hess said that coincides with information he has received from the Oconto County Public Health Department, which reports a “significant number” of people reporting respiratory illnesses but not testing positive for COVID-19.

As students test positive, staff members are conducting contact tracing and notifying parents their child has been in close contact with someone who’s turned up positive, Hess said. If their own child is not showing symptoms, it’s up to the parent whether to send the student to school, but the district does encourage them to have the child tested.

The numbers are a concern, he said, although at this point administrators are not recommending any change from the current policy of in-person classes five days a week, with masks encouraged but not required.

“This may or may not be something that can just simply be left,” Hess said. “It may be something that you consider at some point having a special board meeting to determine whether or not there’s any further action needed.”

Another issue is a growing shortage of available substitute teachers, he added. On Sept. 17, for example, the district had seven or eight teaching positions “uncovered” and others needed to staff classrooms.

“It was all hands on deck — we had counselors, administrators in classrooms, everybody across the team, to try to make this work,” Hess said.

Some substitutes who were in the pool have been hired as full-time staff, and others are concerned about coming into the school because of COVID-19 worries.

“We’re really struggling right now to keep the classrooms covered on a daily basis,” he said.

Board members said the number of absentees is a concern, but at least parents are keeping their sick children home rather than sending them to school where they can spread the illness.

Hess agreed but added that in the early days after school opened, they did see a couple of kids who “were showing symptoms literally as they come off the bus” and administrators needed to remind parents to keep them at home.