Dunning/Thedford— Sandhills High School (SHS) and Thedford High School (THS) are taking extra precautions after a staff member at THS, and another individual who was at the high school, tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a THS Facebook post and confirmed by Superintendent Blake Dahlberg, West Central District Health Department has been contacted and there is a possibility that some staff and students will be considered primary contacts.
SHS Superintendent JD Furrow also addressed the positive COVID-19 case in a Facebook video, that a number of students are primary contacts of a positive COVID case. Loup Basin Public Health Department will be in contact with those individuals to give them testing and quarantining information.
As both schools combine in activities, high school volleyball operations will be suspended until further notice. However, Jr. High activities (including volleyball), football, and cross country events will go on as scheduled.
Dahlberg stated that he is not currently making masks mandatory in the school unless the situation worsens. He noted that nearly all staff and students at the school have been wearing masks since the beginning of the school year.
Furrow stated in his address to the public that masks will be required for 5th grade through 12th grade while the school is in the orange risk category. Students who qualify to not wear a mask (pre-existing health condition, ADA requirements, etc.) will be exempt from the requirement, but if a student refuses to attend classes because they do not want to wear a mask, they will be counted absent for each day missed.
Furrow noted in a previous interview with KCNI/KBBN that nearly all students and staff have been wearing masks from the beginning of the school year.
Sandhills High School falls into the Loup Basin Public Health Department jurisdiction while Thedford High School is in the West Central District Health Department jurisdiction.
