Dear Highland Cougar Families, March 16, 2020
In an attempt to be proactive, we continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic closely; we are NOT planning to cancel classes at this time. Our plans are continuing to develop as we monitor the CDC (Center for Disease Control) site and communicate with our local health department. We believe the best place for our students is to be at school in the learning environment, and we will continue to provide education in the traditional way unless a cancellation becomes necessary.
Please know that LCC1 is, as always, committed to the health, well-being, and education of our students. We know that by keeping our normal school routine, the following occur: Students continue the most appropriate learning, students continue to receive two meals per day, parents and guardians can maintain their normal work schedules, and our employees can continue to work and earn their salary.
On March 13, 2020, Governor Parson declared a State of Emergency for Missouri, which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W241-8mJL0. He clearly stated that this was not a direct order to close schools and left this decision up to each local school district. The State of Emergency declaration was announced to give Missouri access to financial assistance for the COVID-19 testing, containment, and treatment. His recommendation to cancel or suspend public gatherings of greater than 50 people excluded k-12 educational institutions, daycare facilities, and business operations.
The LCC1 administrative team and school nurse met with the health department and our regional epidemiologist on Friday. At this time, zero patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Northeast Missouri or in the tristate area; only five have been diagnosed in the entire state of Missouri. Please know that we will continue communicating with our local health department for direction, as well as monitoring Missouri COVID-19 positive cases. If a patient is diagnosed within our county, we will next determine if there was contact with our facilities, students, or employees. These determinations will assist in our decision making process. Additional information will continue to be posted to our district website and shared through our website, school app, district Facebook page, and our district Twitter feed. This process is continually evolving, so please be flexible in your planning as the district’s direction may change at any time.
Sincerely,
John French
Superintendent
Lewis County C-1 School District