WADSWORTH, Ohio — Students and employees in Wadsworth City Schools will have to wear masks inside district buildings over the next three weeks to get COVID-19 "numbers under control," superintendent Andrew Hill said, referring to the hundreds of students and staff under isolation or quarantine currently.
The board of education made the decision Monday night. Out of the 4,347 enrolled in the district, a total of 544 students and employees are under quarantine or isolating.
Masks will be required starting Wednesday and must be worn by all students and employees inside any district building during hours the schools are in session.
"It's important to note that the board's decision last night was based upon how to best keep students and employees in school (out of quarantine) based upon the quarantine process we must follow, per the flow chart created by the Ohio Department of Health and followed by the Medina County Health Department. The initial requirement for all is to try to get our numbers under control during what may be a peak period. On September 20, the board of education plans to discuss what threshold to set (students in isolation or quarantine vs. total enrollment) for the superintendent to require face coverings within a building, once the initial period for all is over," the district said.
Additionally, no visitors or volunteers be allowed in the buildings during the next three weeks, the superintendent said. Open houses at Central Intermediate School and Wadsworth High School that were scheduled for this week will be rescheduled to a later date.
The district will "continue to work on solutions to create space during student lunchtime," Hill said.
Hill also shared a presentation that shows the current number of employees and students who are under isolation/quarantine due to COVID-19.
Here is the breakdown of the schools in the district and current isolation/quarantine numbers:
Franklin Elementary School
Total enrollment: 251
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 162
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 64.5%
Central Intermediate School
Total enrollment: 654
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 128
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 19.6%
Wadsworth High School
Total enrollment: 1,474
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 147
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 9.2%
Valley View Elementary School
Total enrollment: 318
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 33
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 9.1%
Overlook Elementary School
Total enrollment: 388
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 29
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 7.2%
Wadsworth Middle School
Total enrollment: 669
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 32
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 4.2%
Lincoln Elementary School
Total enrollment: 215
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 12
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 5.6%
Isham Elementary School
Total enrollment: 378
Number of students and employees in isolation/quarantine: 1
Percentage of student population in isolation/quarantine: 0.3%
According to the Ohio Department of Health, Medina County has had 17,535 COVID-19 cases since Jan. 1, 2020. The county has reported 800 hospitalizations and 280 deaths during the same time period.
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