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On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Greenwood Lake Union Free Schools Superintendent Sarah Hadden alerted parents that a staff member tested positive for the virus, and that she was closing down the elementary and middle schools for a day, with students learning from a distance.
This is the third Orange County school district to report positive COVID-19 cases since classes resumed earlier this month.
The staff member that tested positive works at the middle school and has served in a substitute capacity in one other building following a test administered earlier this week.
The staff member is currently in isolation, and anyone that may have come into close contact with the educator has been alerted by health and school officials.
Anyone placed into mandated quarantine will do so for 14 days from the last exposure date, meaning the quarantine will end on Friday, Oct. 2.
Hadden said the temporary closure on Wednesday, Sept. 23 was to allow for sufficient contact tracing and to allow crews to sanitize district buildings. All school buildings are on track to open regularly on Thursday, Sept. 24 on normal schedules, Haddan added.
During the day of remote learning, Haddan said that teachers were instructed to offer a combination of synchronous and asynchronous review work, so no new activity would be missed for students unable to log in remotely.
“As with anything else this year, we have planned for events such as this but are being flexible with the implementation of the closing schedule,” Hadden said.
“I know this is concerning news, but please respect the individual’s privacy during this difficult time. We are working collaboratively with the Orange County Department of Health, and as always, the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.
Officials said that people identified as a contact of a person who tested positive will receive a call from a contact tracer.
For such calls, the caller ID may read NYS Contact Tracing or display a phone number with a 518 area code. Your identity and the information shared will remain confidential.
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