Gasconade County R-2 has notified parents, staff and teachers that three persons in the district are in quarantine after coming into contact with an individual who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 as of Friday.

In a letter sent out via e-notes on Friday, the district said two teachers from the Gerald Elementary School and a student attending summer school at the Owensville Middle School (OMS) are all in quarantine after being in contact with a positive case but have not contracted the virus themselves, said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy.

“They are not positive,” Hardy reiterated on Monday. “They were around someone that was.”

Students started summer school July 27 in all four of the district’s campus buildings. The district already had a re-entry plan in place.

“If something were to happen, we know who is within six feet of those students,” Hardy said. “Who was on the bus, where did they sit, and who was in close proximity.”

The district was able to use that information to notify parents of students in close contact with students or staff, as well as have a system in place to notify all persons and parents in the district.

“The letter was sent to everyone who is signed up to receive the Gasconade County R-2 alerts,” Hardy said. “The Owensville Elementary School remains unaffected.”

Hardy said the only way the Owensville High School could have been affected is if a high school student was riding the bus in close contact with the student in quarantine.

“Parents would have been notified by phone,” Hardy said.

When school officials received information on Friday that staff members and a student had been in contact with a positive case, they directly notified all parents who shared a classroom with the OMS student. “We also notified parents of students who were close to the student on the bus,” she said.

Hardy said she was happy with the school’s response to the knowledge. “Just know we are following the CDC’s guidelines as they come out and they do change frequently, but we are constantly updating plans to coincide with the CDC guidelines. We were really proud to see everyone back,” she said.

After staff and the student were in quarantine, the district was able to go back and look at the seating charts in the classroom and bus to determine who may have been in close contact with them.

“I am proud we worked really hard this summer to have that information in place,” Hardy said. “It really worked out.”

Since summer school started last week, Hardy said things have gone smoothly. “We are off to a smooth start, making sure everyone is social distancing in the classrooms and making sure people know they are recommended to wear masks if they can’t maintain physical distancing,” she said.

The district is also planning a virtual open house for all buildings.

“When all of the videos from teachers, staff and administrators are online, we will send out an e-note that it is available,” Hardy said. “Any parent with students enrolled will receive a text alert. I don’t think that is going to be ready until next Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Hardy said parents and students can go to the Gasconade County R-2 District’s website any time to watch the videos that are available. To view videos that are available, go to https://www.dutchmen.us/, click on “District” and then “Virtual Open House 2020.”