LAKEPORT— “We have had a COVID-19 positive case in one of our preschools,” noted Jill Ruzicka, Communications Coordinator of the Lake County Office of Education on Thursday, adding that parents have been notified, as well as public health.
“At the Lake County Office of Education (LCOE), the health and safety of our students, staff and community are our top priority,” noted Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg in a message posted this week on the LCOE website. “It is important that our agency keep the public informed and be as transparent as possible to foster overall community and student well-being.”
Falkenberg added that his office sent a letter to the parents/guardians of one of the district LCOE preschool facilities, notifying them that a student in the program had tested positive for COVID-19. Ruzicka confirmed that although there have been positive COVID-19 cases at the schools in the past, this was the first case of COVID-19 in a LCOE run program.
“At LCOE, we are always advocating for the best overall situation for our children. We have been working in overdrive since February 2020, to determine how to best serve students in these extraordinary times,” noted Falkenberg. “We have been actively engaged with our local public health department. We have been in close contact with the California Department of Education. We have been working tirelessly with school professionals, administrators, and school board members across our state. We have been listening intently to our parents’ needs and concerns. We are following all local and state guidance.”
Falkenberg added that there is a consensus among experts that in-person instruction is most effective for the youngest students. “In fact,” he noted, “in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ COVID-19 guidance for school re-entry, pediatric doctors “strongly advocate that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.” According to Falkenberg, current data has suggested that younger children are at less risk of severe illness.
“Based on the data, our county’s status, and our ability to meet all local and state guidelines, we chose to open the doors to our LCOE preschools,” he wrote.
According to the LCOE, the preschool cohort will be closed for 14 days after the last date of known exposure to give those who had exposure, a chance to quarantine. The physical building will be closed for the remainder of this week for deep cleaning and disinfecting. The Office of Education made no public mention of which preschool was involved with the positive case but gave an update on the student’s condition.
“We are able to report that the student in question has no symptoms,” wrote Falkenberg.
“We will continue to work with our public health department, and partner agencies in addressing COVID-19 issues as they arise within our LCOE programs.”
“If you should have any questions or comments, please call my office to make an appointment to speak with me,” said the LCOE superintendent.
