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First-grade students at York County school return to in-person learning following COVID-19 positive test

On Monday, the York County school division’s precautionary and temporary suspension of 1st-grade classes was lifted.

YORK COUNTY, Va. — A COVID-19 case in one York County elementary school left several parents feeling uneasy.

On Tuesday, first-grade students and teachers at Dare Elementary will be back in class. They had to learn virtually on Monday after a positive test inside the school.

A school spokeswoman said a member of the Dare Elementary School community participating in the first-grade hybrid model of instruction tested positive for the virus but couldn’t say if it was a student or a teacher.

First-grade students returned to the classroom two weeks ago to start their hybrid schedule. On Monday, those students shifted back to remote learning. All Dare Elementary School families were notified of the shift on Sunday evening.

School leaders and division staff worked with the health department to determine who was in close contact with the person who tested positive. They did that by Monday afternoon. 

School leaders told those people to follow CDC guidelines, which includes quarantining for 14 days. First-grade students and teachers will be returning to school beginning Tuesday.

The spokeswoman added all areas that the individual used last week were closed Monday for disinfecting.

Dare Elementary School was still open on Monday. It was the first day some second and third-grade students went back to the classroom.

The school spokeswoman said the CDC lets administrators keep the building open, and only close a section of the school if interaction is limited between groups of students.

The division may then suspend or cancel events and activities (assemblies, sporting events, etc.), implement short-term closures of individual classrooms, sections of buildings, or entire buildings or implement alternate learning models.

Many parents felt a bit uneasy Monday afternoon, like Katelin Bonniville. Her daughter is in the first grade at Dare.

“I wanted her back but safely, because I don't want her getting sick,” Bonniville said.

Bonniville got the news Sunday night as they were getting ready for school on Monday.

“I was getting her clothes ready, snack in her backpack, and I got the call and I was like, 'Oh my gosh,'” Bonniville said. “I’m nervous because I have young kids, I don't want them getting it, nervous for the teachers, students, my family, but I'm sure they will clean as well as they can, as long as they wear their masks, I think everyone will be alright.”

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