Lincoln School students return to the classroom

After a month and a half of online schooling and a Christ-mas break, Lincoln students returned to their classrooms Monday morning.

The school had been closed since Nov. 19 out of concerns about COVID-19 and close contacts with infected individuals that impacted both students and staff.

The Lincoln School Board opted to return to in-person classes at a special Dec. 28 meeting via Zoom, due largely to the impact distance learning was having on the students.

"A lot of the high school kids want to be online, even though it's not good for them, and their grades are saying it's not good for them," Superintendent Jennifer Packer said. "The younger kids, elementary , they're all thrilled to be back and I know the teachers are thrilled to be back."

Packer said if they have a case of COVID-19 crop up in the school, they have protocols in place to isolate anyone who was in close contact.

"It depends on who it is and what class, where they're at. They're already confined to a group, as far as the elementary, so we would be able to trace it pretty well," she said. "It's a little tougher with the high school kids, who go from class to class, but we have a regimen of cleaning classrooms after every class, and we would talk to the teachers to let them know about close contacts."

As students return from a Christmas break that may have included travel or contacts with family from out of state, the school staff is also taking a hard line on mask wearing and other mitigation protocols.

Packer said they don't want to see the school closed down again, but have to play it by ear.

"Every case is so unique. You have to look at the cases that come along and how it's going to affect the school. If we can't keep it open safely, then yes we would go, but if we can figure out how to keep the school open safely, that's our number one priority."