Since returning to school after the holidays, Summit School District has had to push two schools, Upper Blue and Summit Cove elementaries, to remote learning, but both are now back to in-person learning.

The move was the result of a district policy that says a school will transition to remote learning for five days if a building has more than 20% of its staff out.

The update was provided by physical health coordinator Elizabeth Edgar at the Thursday, Jan. 13, school board meeting. Edgar added that testing is still being conducted weekly in all school buildings and that about 840 students and 250 staff members are registered in the program. She said about 2% of results are coming back positive across the district. That compares to a positivity rate of over 30% in the broader community.

Edgar said the incentives for students are mailed out the month after testing, with a single gift card loaded with all the money the student earned. Students receive $25 for their first test and $10 for every test after that.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently changing its quarantine guidelines to five days, the district has also modified its guidelines. Edgar said that while the CDC recommends a five-day isolation for those with symptoms and a positive test, the district wants folks to stay home until their symptoms are resolved.

The district is keeping its preschool quarantine and isolation guidelines at 10 days with a positive test or close contact because those children are not old enough to be vaccinated.

Edgar said the district last week had 87 cases. Before the start of the board meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday, she said there were already 87 cases for this week.