CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — Recent speculation about the Grants/Cibola County School District exposing children and staff to COVID-19 is false, according to officials.
Superintendent Max Perez commented that the district’s protocols are more restrictive than any of the recommended procedures for public schools.
“We are constantly working to ensure that safety measures are in place,” said the superintendent.
“Schools are monitored daily for compliance and to date none of the protocols have been violated.”
District policy requires any employee, who has been exposed first-hand to the coronavirus, to self-isolate. The individual is prohibited from returning to their job site until tests are negative. The superintendent illustrated the quarantine procedure with a theoretical example: An employee’s household member is exposed to COVID and tests positive. This means that the employee works from home until their test results are negative.
Community spread of COVID has resulted in temporary closures for at least three district elementary schools, Mesa View and Mount Taylor and Milan, since the start of the 2020-21 academic year. Both schools reported employees who had tested positive. The most recent incident, as of press time, was at Mt. Taylor Elementary on Del Norte Boulevard, Grants.
The G/CCSD administration shuttered the facility on Nov. 5. All scheduled classes are being conducted online until Monday, Nov. 16, when face-to-face instruction will be re-instated. The campus remains completely closed until Thursday, Nov. 12; teachers and staff will resume their duties onsite tomorrow, according to Perez.
The enrollment at Mt. Taylor school is 428, Pre-K through sixth grade. One hundred and twenty-three students have opted to receive face-to-face instruction as part of the recently implemented re-entry plan. Mesa View, which includes Pre-K through sixth grade, has 130 students participating in the 50 percent option out of the 344 currently enrolled.
The district implemented the 50 percent reentry plan for the seven elementary schools on Oct. 19. Parents and guardians retain the option of having their children remain in the virtual instructional program emphasized the superintendent. Re-entry policies for Seboyeta, San Rafael, Cubero, Mt. Taylor, Mesa View, Bluewater, and Milan schools are available on the homepage of the district’s website: https://www.gccs.k12.nm.us
Los Alamitos Middle School, Laguna-Acoma Junior/Senior High, Early College High School, and Grants High School students are not eligible for the 50 percent re-entry option. Those students will continue utilizing virtual instruction, according to district officials.
The pandemic has resulted in many people feeling apprehensive about the future. Some people have responded by promoting false information including allegations about elected officials who have contracted COVID-19.
“I am not able to comment on any rumors about school board members,” Superintendent Perez said. He acknowledged that because G/CCSD has a five-member board any statements he might make could violate HIPAA privacy protections.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. The US Department of Health and Human Services issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA. The HIPAA Security Rule protects a subset of information covered by the Privacy Rule, according to cdc.gov
The superintendent pointed out that a pandemic has created unusual situations for community members of all ages. He encouraged residents to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and comply with the New Mexico Department of Health guidelines.
Visit gccs.k12.nm.us or call 505-285-2603 for more information.