SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — Siloam Springs School District has made the decision to cancel onsite instruction for Northside Elementary for the next two weeks after several faculty members tested positive for COVID-19.
Northside Elementary will be closed for onsite instruction from Nov. 2, through Nov. 13.
This decision was taken in efforts to help control the spread of the virus. The district is currently in the process of contacting any staff or student who could have been in close contact with the infected.
Onsite instruction will begin again on Nov. 16.
The district will continue working with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to ensure the safest environment possible for onsite instruction.
“Yes we’re here to educate kids and we’re going to continue to do that but the most important thing is everyone’s health,” said Shane Patrick, Assistant Superintendent.
Patrick says the school is putting its students and faculty first.
“The safety of those people are so important that we do not want to take any chances with it getting spread outside of the few classrooms it has and so we want to make sure we’re taking care of those people and that’s the absolute most important thing,” Patrick said.
Patrick says 13 out of 40 teachers are being quarantined at this time.
The school worked with the Arkansas Department of Health over the weekend to come up with the safest plan.
“We felt like it was the right thing to do to close down for two weeks and try to limit the spread of the virus in the school,” Patrick said.
The Siloam Springs School District decided the best option was for pre k through kindergarten students to switch to virtual learning for the next two weeks.
Barb Macken said she’s not only a staff member for the school district but she’s also the mom to a Northside student, so for their family, the next two weeks of school will look a little different.
“I’m going to be doing school with her,” Macken said.
Macken says parents are given packets of school work for the kids and teachers are available for questions, but despite the adjustment, the Macken’s along with other Northside families are having to roll with the punches.
“We’re in a good place, we’re gonna do it and we’re making changes here and she’s going to continue to do her learning with the resources teachers provide and the school district provides, and were gonna do it. We can do this,” Macken said.