(Atlantic) At Wednesday night’s Atlantic School Board meeting, Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber reported student and staff positive COVID-19 numbers are the lowest since January 3, 2022.
“Over this period, we know of 30 staff members and 63 students who tested positive for the virus,” said Barber. “It was mid-December when the Omicron virus was identified in the United States and spread throughout the country like wildfire.”
Barber says Atlantic school personnel and students were not held harmless, and the month of January was a struggle. He says many staff and students missed days. “There were days when staffing levels were low, and building Principals worked at creating the least amount of disruption as possible,” said Barber. “As of Tuesday, February 8, two staff and students tested positive for COVID-19”.
Mr. Barber said last spring, the Iowa Department of Public Health pointed toward vaccinations as the top strategy, and many adults and students took advantage of this option. Additionally, the accumulation of positive cases who attended school or in the community is numerous. “Hopefully, we continue to see COVID infect fewer and fewer individuals, and consistency in school attendance continues to improve,” said Barber.
Mr. Barber also thanked Mr. Rasmussen for his commitment to the Atlantic School and community. Mr. Rasmussen is moving on to fulfill his goal of being a Superintendent for the ACGC School District. Barber is creating different interview stakeholder committees in the interview process. The job posting for Middle School Principal goes out on February 10, interested applicants need to complete paperwork by March 4, 2022, interviews will be held March 14-16, and the process will end with a special board meeting to consider the recommended individual.
