Coventry High School Shifts Schedule Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases

COVENTRY, RI — Amid rising coronavirus cases, Coventry High School is reconsidering fully in-person learning. Following several distance learning days this week, the school will move to an early release schedule.

The Rhode Island Department of Health requested a meeting with Coventry school leaders Friday due to the "significant" rise in positive COVID-19 cases at the high schools. As of Friday, there had been 37 positive cases since the beginning of school. Of those, 21 had been reported in just the previous two weeks.

Because the school only learned of many of the cases in the past few days, contact tracing is still underway for most, Assistant Superintendent Don Cowart, said in a message to the community, adding that more cases could come in the coming days.

To address the rise in cases, Coventry High School is moving to a new, temporary schedule. Students will learn at home through Wednesday due to two distance learning days and a previously scheduled professional development day on Wednesday. Once students return to school Thursday, they will move to an early release schedule, taking lunches as grab and go and leaving at 12:30. The schedule will remain in place until further guidance comes from the Department of Health.

"The decision to move to distance learning was made so the school personnel can continue contact tracing the cases that have already been identified and to notify close contacts," Cowart explained. "Doing this while the building is empty of students gives all the administrative staff, nursing staff and clerks to assist with the process, time to complete the process without interruption and keeps the students safely at home."

Because lunch is the main time that students are unmasked for long periods of time, eliminating it for now will reduce the chance of virus transmission during the school day, Cowart continued.

During this time, students can only take part in athletics if they show proof of vaccination or recent negative PCR test and are completely symptom free. Spectators will be limited to parents only, unless contact tracing is finished and everyone was notified, Cowart said.

A school-wide testing event will be held at the high school at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Students under 16 years old will need parental consent to participate.

School officials reminded students and families to get tested frequently, following best practices when it comes to mask-wearing, stay home when feeling sick and quickly alert the Department of Health and school district of a positive COVID-19 case.

The district also encouraged parents and guardians to get their student vaccinated if they are eligible and have not yet done so. The Coventry Emergency Management Agency will hold school day and after-school vaccine clinics in the first week of October.

If a student is identified as a close contact of a positive case, he or she will have to quarantine for 10 days if they are not vaccinated. Vaccinated students can return to school sooner.

"Coventry Schools understands that the fluidity and the unknown of this situation is extremely challenging for students, parents, faculty, and staff," the community message continued. "Our circumstances and responses will continue to evolve and change over time as we monitor, adapt and learn how to best keep everyone safe."

Related: 'Everyone Is Pulling Together': Coventry Heads Back To School