While the Gasconade County R-2 School District remains open with zero positive COVID-19 cases in its first week, 15 students and staff have been asked to self-quarantine by the Gasconade and Franklin county health departments.

“But Franklin County won’t give us a list of those they have asked to quarantine,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy on Tuesday afternoon. “It is definitely frustrating because we don’t always know who is on quarantine and if the county health department doesn’t give that to us, then we could have kids supposed to be on quarantine in school.”

Hardy said the health departments are supposed to enforce quarantine, but they don’t receive calls from the Franklin County Health Department that someone in the school district has been asked to quarantine.

“We are relying on parents to give us that information and make sure parents are quarantining their kids,” Hardy said.

If a student is placed in self-quarantine by the health department, parents should contact the school to sign students up for e-learning.

“We are offering them either homebound instruction or interim homebound instruction,” Hardy said. “The course work is still from the teacher or through virtual learning instruction.”

Educere, the e-learning provider, and student receive a list of the Missouri Learning Standards being taught in the classroom during the quarantine period.

“But most teachers are providing the work and keeping contact with the student because that work is only for two weeks,” Hardy added.

None of the students in quarantine came into contact with the virus through the school district, according to reports.

“It was all outside sources,” Hardy said. “If you go to a large event on the weekend or a family reunion, then come back. In another county, an entire church was quarantined.”

The district continues to make an effort to provide parents with information as possible cases become apparent.

On Friday, Aug. 28, neighboring Maries R-2 School District in Belle received a call that they had one positive case in the elementary school that resulted in the entire class and transportation route, under 40 students, being quarantined. Newburg, Rolla, and St. James also had one confirmed case on Friday according to the Phelps-Maries County Health Department.