SLE sees first COVID cases

SEELEY LAKE – At their Sept. 20 meeting, the Seeley Lake Elementary Superintendant Josh Gibbs updated the School Board on the current status of COVID in the school. While the school skirted COVID last year with no cases at school, SLE’s first case this year was reported Sept. 15. In other business, the Board approved hiring two new staff, discussed installation of solar panels on the school roof and approved a policy on staff sick leave relating to COVID.

As of Monday, Gibbs said there were five positive cases in the school and 26 students were out for quarantining. Three of the positive cases were staff and two were students. Gibbs did not know if the staff that tested positive were vaccinated or not.

When the first positive case was identified last week the entire class was initially quarantined until the close contacts could be identified and contacted.

Gibbs felt the strategy worked well but if they have many more cases he is concerned with kids missing too much school.

In response to the positive cases, the school resumed temperature checks at doors, started maintaining stricter groupings in areas like the cafeteria and afterschool programs have been canceled for the week.

Gibbs said one big concern is staffing. Because the substitute list is small this year they may have to consider going to remote learning if too many staff are quarantined. He encouraged anyone who is interested in subbing at the school or driving a bus to contact the school.

Gibbs said he is now certified to administer BinaxNOW rapid tests. The tests could be used for staff but Gibbs said there is no intention to use the tests on students. Rapid testing could potentially reduce the amount of required quarantining as well as identify positive cases in the staff quicker.

While masks remain optional at the school, Gibbs said in the last few days more people have been choosing to wear them.

In other business:

• Board voted to hire Heidi Langley as a paraprofessional and Jen Vogel as a part time Special Education Teacher.

• Missoula Electric Cooperative has approached SLE with a proposal to install a 47.6 kW solar array on the roof of the school. The board requested more information and will consider the project at a future meeting.

• The new policy on staff’s sick leave defines whether the employee or District pays for sick leave. If an employee is quarantined because of a contact that happened at school, the District will pay for the sick leave. If it is due to a contact outside of work, then the employee is responsible. If a staff member tests positive for COVID, the District will pay sick leave regardless of where the infection came from.

The District will also pay out up to six days of sick leave for days staff may have to wait for results of COVID tests. Gibbs said the rapid testing should help cut this down.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18.