Las Vegas school that warned about COVID-19 contact to stay open

The southeast Las Vegas charter school that announced a member of its campus community is under quarantine for potential COVID-19 exposure does not plan to temporarily close its doors, a school official said Monday.

A statement from Explore Knowledge Academy Superintendent Abbe Mattson sent Monday said the school is in ongoing communication with the Southern Nevada Health District, which has maintained that there was no direct exposure to the disease at the school, so there is no elevated risk to staff or students and no reason to close the school.

Students will return to the campus Tuesday for classes, as Monday was a scheduled home-based learning day as part of EKA’s four-day school week schedule.

The school expects to send another update to parents regarding the situation later Monday, Mattson’s message said.

“EKA’s goal is to be transparent with our students, families, and staff so they can know and trust that we are putting their health and welfare first,” Mattson said in the letter. “As a public school, we are, however, under certain legal obligations to maintain privacy with respect to the medical information of our students, familie5s, and staff.”

According to Mattson’s letter, EKA is working with the Nevada Department of Education for guidance regarding students who stay home in the days ahead out of concern that the pathogen could be present at the school. The department did not return a request for this information from the Review-Journal Monday.

The letter also detailed the school’s daily cleaning processes, which Mattson said have been in place all year. In addition to wiping down school areas and student technology, the school uses EvaClean, an electrostatic disinfectant sprayer.

EKA consists of an elementary and secondary school and is sponsored by the Clark County School District. It’s not clear whether the person quarantined is a contact of either of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Clark County.

A new document available on the CCSD website also sheds some light on an apparent disparity between how the news of a possible school connection to a coronavirus case was handled in Southern Nevada versus in Washoe County, where a school was immediately identified and closed.

CCSD states that because the school operates independently, it was not in the district’s purview to release its name.

A statement sent Thursday said there are no cases of coronavirus at district schools.

Travel restrictions

After canceling upcoming out-of-state student travel last week, CCSD announced Monday that it would restrict all district-sponsored out-of-state and international travel for employees as well. While the district can’t ban its School Board trustees from travel, board President Lola Brooks said she believed trustees would voluntarily adhere to the same travel guidelines provided to staff.

There are no current restrictions on local events.

District Superintended Jesus Jara said in a statement Friday that all schools would receive additional cleaning Monday, a scheduled day off for students, teachers and nine-month support staff, with cleanings headed by school site teams. At Spring Valley High, for one, a cleaning crew of the school’s custodians and building manger focused on frequently touched areas such as door handles and railings, as well as desks, chairs and computers.

CCSD officials added Monday that the district had secured a supply chain for cleaning supplies and “is prepared for deep cleaning teams to be dispatched.”

At a CCSD bus yard Monday morning, workers could be seen power-washing school buses, but said the efforts were part of routine exterior cleanings that happened every few months. District officials said in a statement that buses would be cleaned as well.

Asked about the future possible need for distance learning, CCSD officials said in a statement that the district’s goal was to stay open. A question and answer document available online also said the district is waiting on guidance from the Nevada Department of Education on standardized testing options in the event of long-term school closures, as well as attendance policies.

The document states that parents do not have the option to keep their students home and working through online classes unless the student attends Nevada Learning Academy. Students with underlying health issues may need to work with Homebound Services for options, the document states.

Answering a question of what options are available for employees who do not have enough sick leave to be quarantined, the response in the document states: “CCSD staff members are provided various forms of leave through collective bargaining agreements with their respective unions.”

“The goal of CCSD is to remain open to educate children and provide a sense of normalcy and stability for students, employees and families,” district officials said. “If school closures create the need for online/virtual programming, this will be communicated directly to parents.”

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.