The school in Ten Sleep has canceled in-person classes for the next week due to a lack of teachers and staff, who are out due to illness.
Classes were dismissed at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and classes would go virtual Thursday, Monday and Tuesday, as school was already out on Friday, according to an announcement from district superintendent Jimmy Phelps. All school activities scheduled for the next week are canceled.
It was not clear if staff and teachers are out sick due to the coronavirus or other reasons.
Ten Sleep students were sent home Wednesday with any materials they might need for the next week.
According to school officials, the district’s board of trustees recently changed the school’s COVID quarantine procedures when a student or staff member is exposed. When someone from the school tests positive for the coronavirus, contact tracing will be conducted and staff members and the parents of an exposed student will be notified.
The parents and staff will make a decision as to whether or not the person needs to quarantine, as long as they are not experiencing any COVID symptoms. Anyone who chooses to attend school during the quarantine period is encouraged to wear a mask and to be tested for the virus.
As of Tuesday, Washakie County had 121 active COVID cases, the 10th highest in the state, and about 36% of the county was fully vaccinated.
The school district does not have a mask mandate in place for students.
Rawlins High School, whose district also does not have a mask mandate, canceled all of its homecoming activities late last week due to a COVID “situation” at the school.
