(Corning) Southwest Valley Schools Superintendent Chris Fenster said their administration and in-house experts, Darcy Dalton and Lindsey Hogan have been working with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Department of Education (DOE), and surrounding schools to make decisions on what will happen if they have a case of COVID-19 in their district.
The school’s first line of protection is prevention against the virus. The district is doing a thorough cleaning and hand washing is being stressed. They have hand sanitizer in the classrooms, but none of this matters if someone sick comes to school. If your child feels ill or you have been ill, officials ask that you please stay home and get better before you return to school.
If a case of COVID-19 happens in the Southwest Valley district, they will be contacted by IDPH and they will advise how long the school will need to be closed and when students can safely return to campus. If one building closes, Southwest Valley will close all campuses since there are siblings in other buildings and personnel that travel between buildings. If this happens, Chris Fenster will send out a message on infinite campus immediately, unless it is overnight, then he will send a message at 5 a.m.
The spring musical is Saturday and Sunday. All performances will be going on as planned unless the above scenario happens. They will be disinfecting the auditorium between the performances. Officials explored having the musical live streamed, but were told no because of infringement rights.
The district is also working with the DOE and the USDA to determine if they will be allowed to provide some kind of a meal for students daily, if they are forced to close. Fenster said in conclusion, they will not close down school unless they are forced to by the IDPH or the CDC. Meanwhile, they are working hard to keep the school safe and provide the best education for all.
Here are additional weblinks to help you understand the Covid-19 virus and the steps you can take to protect yourself.
IDPH: https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Cornonavirus
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
