‘Taking it day by day’

Dare Schools monitoring coronavirus situation

Hours after Governor Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency in response to the novel coronavirus, (COVID-19), Dare County Schools Superintendent John Farrelly told the district’s Board of Education during its March 10 meeting that school officials were closely monitoring the situation and ramping up efforts within the district’s schools to prevent the spread of illness.

“Rest assured, the safety of our students, parents and staff are our top priority,” asserted Farrelly, noting that school leaders are in constant communication with state and local health officials to receive up-to-date information on the status of the outbreak within the state. While school leaders are developing contingency plans to respond to a range of situations, the superintendent told the board and audience that school officials wanted to avoid discussing different scenarios publicly and were “taking it day by day.”

To date, there have been seven confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state. While a number of school districts have closed across the country to combat the spread of COVID-19, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is not currently recommending pre-emptive closure of schools and childcare centers at this time.

During his remarks to the ed board, Farrelly mentioned the possibility of some future restrictions on field trips if the coronavirus spreads in the state. The superintendent later told the Voice that the trigger for temporarily restricting field trips outside of Dare County would likely be a move by the North Carolina High School Athletics Association to restrict athletics in response to the virus spread.

When asked what circumstances would prompt the district to close schools, Farrelly said, “I hedge to answer that,” adding that it could be a number of scenarios that could lead to a closure — including an order from Governor Cooper, the N.C. General Assembly or the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

If any decision is made on the local level, Farrelly said it would be made in conjunction with Dare County Department of Health and Human Services officials. “It’s hard to predict…but we do want to communicate calmness despite the anxiety and uncertainty,” the school chief asserted.

He noted that the district’s capability regarding digital learning at the high school level is exceptional, bit it could be trickier at the younger levels. He also said another consideration would be examining grading polices that are tied to attendance.

In the meantime, school officials have indicated that the district is stepping up infection control measures and working to stockpile supplies such as hand sanitizers. The district has also ordered Clorox-360 disinfecting sprayer systems, however those are currently on back order.

According to Dare County Schools Digital Communications Director Keith Parker, school nurses are leading an effort to increase messaging in the buildings regarding the importance of general hygiene practices while custodial teams are meticulously following sanitation protocols.

In addition, he said, school nurses are calling home when students present with flu-like symptoms and fevers and are asking that students and staff stay home until they recover from symptoms. In addition. posters reminding students of general hygiene practices have also gone up in the schools.