Shelter Island School Superintendent Brian Doelger announced Sunday evening that a staff member tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and distance learning will be in place on Monday.
[UPDATE: Dr. Doelger said Monday the building will reopen Tuesday — see details at the end of the post.]
“Out of an abundance of caution, tomorrow, November 30, will be a virtual/distance learning day,” Dr. Doelger told parents in a robocall and email around 8:15 PM.
The school, one of just a few in Suffolk County that’s been open for in-person learning for grades Pre-K through 12, recently conducted distance learning, when the school was closed for Election Day.
In his message, Dr. Doelger said that teachers realize all students may not have all materials with them, and will tailor their instruction accordingly.
“We do realize that not all elementary students will have their devices at home,” he said. “If this is the case, please rest assured that your child will not be penalized. If it looks like the virtual learning will extend beyond tomorrow, we will deliver devices home.”
“If you need technological assistance, please email: support@shelterisland.k12.ny.us. Thank you for your patience and understanding. As soon as more information becomes available, I will be in further contact.”
It was not immediately clear whether the staff member who tested positive is a resident of Shelter Island, where eight cases have been reported since October. The cumulative COVID-19 case tally here stood at 17 on Sunday.
The rate of infection in Suffolk County has spiked over the past week. The positivity rate now stands at 4.9 up significantly from 2.7 percent just a week earlier. State, county and local officials have been strongly encouraging people to avoid gatherings with people from other households, even if they meet other health guidelines.
Update: School will reopen Tuesday
On Monday, Dr. Doelger contacted members of the school community to say the building will reopen Tuesday, after a deep cleaning. Due to medical privacy regulations, he was not able to share identifying details about the case.
“There is certain information we are not able to provide you with in order to keep people’s identities and medical information private,” he wrote. “I would, though, like to give you the information on what occurred and what data goes into the decision-making process.”
The staff member, who had not been in the building since Tuesday, notified school officials immediately upon receiving results of a rapid test, Dr. Doelger said. Senior school officials consulted with Dr. Josh Potter and Shelter Island Police Chief James J. Reid, and decided “to err on the side of safety.”
The school contacted Suffolk County health officials and based on discussions with all advisors “we concluded the bullding to be safe to reopen in-person tomorrow.”
“No students or teachers are required to quarantine beyond the affected staff member,” Dr. Doelger said. “Just for your information, if a similar situation occurs again and the is a need to quarantine students or staff, those people will be contacted directly prior to being allowed to return to school.”
Questions? Contact Dr. Doelger at 631-749-0302 ext. 101.
