CREEDE- After much consideration, and in an effort to be both proactive and safe in the return of students to the Creede School District, the school has opted to remain in online learning until after the new year.
The school released a statement to the community of Creede, parents, students and staff, “Dear Parents and Guardians of Creede District students, after meetings with Silver Thread Public Health, county and school officials, we have made the extremely difficult decision to remain in remote learning mode until after the winter break. Public Health is impressed with our efforts to follow safety protocols and knows that the positive virus tests we observed in November did not originate on school grounds, but at after school events. However, we must now consider possible spreading of the virus after the Thanksgiving break, and even more, what will the fallout be after the 17-day winter break? We find it in everyone’s best interest to keep our distance for the time being. Upon our return to face-to-face learning, we are considering ways to double down on keeping our cohorts as distant as possible, which will mean considering changes to our special classes and our utilization of AmeriCorps volunteers. As we all enjoy the upcoming holiday break, be assured school officials will be monitoring the effects of the pandemic on Mineral County as well as neighboring counties. At this time, we plan to open again for in-person learning Tuesday, Jan. 5. (Faculty will meet, one way or another, for an in-service meeting Jan. 4.) If the virus statistics are unfavorable, we will be prepared to stay in the remote posture for a longer period. Upon our return, we will continue to stress the importance of proper mask wearing and other safety measures we currently have in place. However, all of us must be prepared to make a move back to remote learning immediately if we begin seeing positive cases among students and/or staff. Thank you for your continued support in these difficult times as we navigate the ever-changing world of a pandemic. We look forward to seeing students in classrooms again on Jan. 5.”
The district went to online learning in the middle of November after receiving three positive test results for students and out of precaution to keep students and staff safe.