Harrisburg schools go to full remote after COVID outbreak

HARRISBURG - An outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the community caused Harrisburg Unit 3 schools to go to a full remote learning program until at least Friday, Oct. 2

While the number of people, whether staff or students, is unclear, at least one Harrisburg High School student tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.

Numbers released by Egyptian Health Department Monday through Wednesday show two males and three females in their teens from Saline County as having tested positive. However, it is unclear whether any of those are Harrisburg students because that information is protected by privacy laws.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the district announced to parents and guardians that school would not be in session Wednesday, and would resume Thursday in a full remote learning mode.

"I regret to inform you that we had staff and students who were tested as positive for COVID today," Unit 3 Superintendent Mike Gauch wrote in the statement. "We are currently working with Egyptian Health (Department) to conduct all required tracing of 'close contacts' and to notify staff and students that will need to quarantine.

Students attending Norris City or Brownsville are unaffected by the change.

On Wednesday, some school staff were tasked with delivering internet hotspot devices to students who did not have internet access. Those devices are funded by the federal CARES Act, administered by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Gauch said currently, the plan is to return to the mix of in-person and remote learning on Monday, Oct. 5.

Gauch also said attendance at Harrisburg schools with the hybrid learning plan have helped keep social distancing measures in place.

"Overall, I'd say it's been about 70/30, with about 70 percent of students opting for in-person learning and the other 30 percent using remote learning," Gauch said. "That has been a good percentage, because it's been much easier to keep students spaced apart from each other."

The deadline also is approaching to notify schools of whether a student currently using remote learning plans to return to in-person learning for the second nine-week quarter, Gauch said. The deadline to notify a student's building is Oct. 1 and there will be no exceptions.

"We have to be able to have an exact number of students planning to come in person and students who will be remote learners, because it's vital to the safety of the whole district," Gauch said.