OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Kids are heading back to school, one way or another.
The first day for many is next week.
District leaders say they’re doing everything they can to keep students, staff and parents safe. But many also admit they expect to see positive COVID-19 cases.
Wisconsin families worried about COVID-19 probably want to know if it’s crept into their children’s schools. But, whether you’ll find out, is really up to the district.
Public health officers say outbreaks at schools are handled like they are at businesses.
“We really leave it up to that business to disclose that information and, with schools, we certainly expect that it’ll be up to the school districts to disclose information about numbers of cases within the schools,” Winnebago County Health Department director and health officer Doug Gieryn said.
Wisconsin Health Services says it only takes two confirmed cases to be considered an outbreak. But it may only take one case to get the county health department involved.
“When we have a case of COVID-19 in the school, we’ll work with them to make sure that we do an investigation, like we do with any other COVID-19 positive,” said Gieryn.
The state will only say how many schools are dealing with an outbreak. It won’t name them.
At many schools, though, just like with any other health concerns, parents will know.
“If that was within a class, then we would send a communication home – privacy and confidentiality have to be a big part of this, as well – that would say, you know, a person in your son’s or daughter’s class has tested positive, so keeping parents in the loop in that way,” Oshkosh’s Lourdes Academy system president John Dinegan said.
And that includes at public schools, as well.
“We do have a clear communication protocol with our families, should cases arise that we become aware of in the school building,” said Todd Timm, Hortonville Area School District administrator.
Full-disclosure extends beyond parents at Lourdes.
Lourdes Academy will continue with its athletics this year, which means they’ll be playing many different schools. With things like bussing and transportation, leaders say they have a responsibility to the community to be transparent, if an outbreak should occur.
“The ramifications aren’t only our parents, so those are the things we’d want to get out to the public,” Dinegan said. “We would be forthright, in that way.”
Hortonville Area School District’s main concern is notifying the public health department and its school-community first. But district officials say it doesn’t expect the general public to be kept out of the loop, either.
“We have 4,200 students, so it’s going to be public knowledge,” said Timm.
Wisconsin Health Services says anyone who is exposed to COVID-19 at school will be notified.
It considers “exposure” to be close contact for more than 15 minutes.
The state has also released guidelines for COVID-19 outbreaks in K-12 schools in Wisconsin.
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