A New Palestine High School student who attended the first day of classes Monday has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Southern Hancock Schools and Hancock Health.
The family of the student was given an incorrect date by their doctor for when the student could return to school, according to a joint statement from the district and health care system.
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The district said that the student was wearing a mask – as required of all students in grade 3 and above statewide – and was isolated once the school was notified of their positive test result. Several close contacts of the student were also isolated and will be removed from school for two weeks.
Families of those close contacts have already been notified, the district said. It declined to say how many students were considered close contacts, but it said the students were pulled from class early in the day.
No staff members were considered close contacts.
Wes Anderson, spokesperson for the district, said students are wearing masks for the entire school day because class sizes are too large to achieve social distancing in all classes.
A picture posted to the high school's Twitter page from the first day shows students in masks sitting next to each other at shared tables.
Anderson said social distancing is harder in classrooms with tables, as opposed to desks. It has been the trend in education in recent years to move away from desks in favor of more collaborative and flexible seating.
Affected classrooms and some common spaces were disinfected, he said.
A New Palestine football player previously tested positive for COVID-19, but the district said it had cleaned its athletic facilities and would move forward with the start of the school year.
Anderson said there was no connection between the football player and student who attended school Monday.
Southern Hancock is the latest Central Indiana school district to have a student attend school after testing positive for the coronavirus. Last week, nearby Greenfield-Central Schools received a call from the Hancock County Health Department that one of its students had tested positive and attended class on the first day.
Elwood Junior Senior High School started a week of virtual instruction Monday after at least one staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and was in close contact with other staff members. The district started the year with in-person instruction Thursday.
Indiana's public schools are among the first in the country to start their academic years after the pandemic interrupted education nationwide in the spring. Debate continues about whether it is appropriate or safe to bring students back into schools for in-person instruction as the pandemic continues.
Southern Hancock Schools said the district will remain open for in-person instruction.
Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
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New Palestine High School sees COVID-19 case on first day of school - IndyStar
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