March 5, 2021

Friday, March 12, Decorah Community School District, Saint Benedict’s School, and Crossroads Academy employees and active substitutes will receive their second dose of COVID-19 vaccination. There will be no remote learning Friday, March 12: staff will be engaged in professional development on that day.

Decorah Community School District is committed to providing transparent, accurate data regarding cases of isolation and/or quarantining related to COVID-19 while maintaining the confidentiality of students and staff. On September 18, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Education released guidance to school districts and local public health agencies detailing communication of COVID-19 related data. The Iowa Department of Public Health guidance can be found here.

Summary Positive COVID-19

Of approximately 290 Staff – Thirty-one (31) positive COVID-19, Thirty-one (31) recovered

Of approximately 1575 On-site students – One hundred-three (103) positive COVID-19, One hundred (100) recovered

County and District Trend Data

The graphs below reflect county and district data taken each Tuesday and Thursday since school began.

In his weekly message to families, Superintendent Mark Lane shared, “It has been wonderful to see reminders of spring throughout the week. We held our 2021-2022 kindergarten parent meeting, spring sports practices are getting started, and we are seeing students eager to be outside without their winter coats and hats.”

Lane continued, “As we move through the spring months, we will continue to strive to provide normal school experiences for our students. We will do so with continued safety and health mitigation strategies. We have been pleased with the lower numbers of students and staff requiring quarantining or isolation. We believe in-person learning is our most enjoyable and effective learning model.”

Lane urges families to adhere to the foundational mitigation strategies of face mask-wearing, frequent hand washing, and staying home when sick. He concluded, “With these consistent practices, we expect continued success in our final trimester of the school year.”