Five days before school opens, Ozark School District has 25 employees placed under COVID-19 quarantine

With classes scheduled to open five days from today, the Ozark School District has had 25 employees placed under quarantine due to COVID-19, according to a page-one article in today's Springfield News-Leader.

The News-Leader received a tip about an e-mail sent to district employees by Superintendent Chris Bauman revealing that the 25 employees had been quarantined.

A message from Bauman was placed on the district's Facebook page:

All of our staff are now officially back to work! It feels so good to see people - albeit in face coverings - in our buildings and setting up classrooms.

Our Virtual Meet the Teacher will take place next Monday and Tuesday. We know this is not ideal; however, we are working to ensure all our families feel connected and supported as we start school.

This week you may have seen stories in the media regarding employees on quarantine. With a staff of almost 1,000, this is to be expected throughout the year. It doesn't mean everyone on quarantine has tested positive for COVID-19. The District has placed some individuals on quarantine out of an abundance of caution while others may be directed by the Health Department.

COVID-19 is here in our community. This is our reality and if we do not protect ourselves outside of our building doors, we have no chance of keeping our doors open. Because there is not one single option to combat COVID-19, we have to use multiple mitigation strategies to create the safest environment. We have identified five strategies outlined at the top of our Masking Requirements.

I am not saying this to alarm anyone. I want to be open and honest with all of you as we move forward. We know you have questions. We have created a FAQ on quarantine we hope may answer some of those questions.

I’d like to encourage everyone to celebrate what is right with our situation. For me, it’s getting to see our students come through our doors next Thursday. That is what’s right. I strongly believe the best place for our students to learn is in-person and we want to do everything we can to make sure this happens. 

Dr. Chris Bauman, Superintendent