Sunman, IN — On Wednesday, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) updates the county metric map that shows counties represented in colors blue, yellow, orange, and red to indicate the percent positivity rate for the previous week. At an alarming rate, Dearborn and Ohio Counties are both in red, the highest category.
A letter from Dr. Andrew Jackson, Superintendent of Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corporation (SDCSC), he states that the school corporation has been working closely with the Dearborn County Health Department, Dearborn County Health Officer Dr. Eliason, and the other Dearborn County Superintendents.
According to the letter, after considerable discussion this week, SDCSC has determined it can continue to maintain healthy and safe schools while Dearborn County is designated in the Red category, and the data supports this. Therefore, at this time, it will continue with traditional school for grades K-12.
So far this school year, SDCSC has had fourteen (14) students test positive for COVID-19. Of the fourteen, four (4) were positive right before school started or were symptomatic and did not attend school while contagious. With the other ten (10) students, we conducted contact tracing as required by the ISDH and excluded students for fourteen (14) calendars days. Although several students were identified as close contacts (within six (6) feet for fifteen (15) minutes or longer), no close contacts have become COVID-19 positive. Dr. Jackson notes that this indicates that plans to keep students and faculty safe are working.
Extra-Curricular Activities will continue with extra-curricular activities. However, attendance at these activities will be limited. Attendance at extra-curricular activities will be limited according to the ISDH designation: Red – Two (2) tickets per participant, meaning each student, athlete, band member, manager, or others actively involved with the extra-curricular activity.
