The Highland School District is teaching all students in the district virtually now through at least December 2.  And while students right now are not learning onsite, Highland School Nurse Cindy Peiffer says it’s still important that parents report student absences even when they’re not in the classroom, “Even though they’re learning virtually they’re still students, you know they’re still our kids in the district; we just need to try to keep track of who’s sick, how they’re sick, do they need to see their healthcare provider. And so that way we can have a barometer when we come back, how do we come back? Do we come back 100 percent? Do we come back hybrid? Is the community ready to come back?”

Peiffer says it’s been a challenge this school year determining if students are ill with COVID-19 or another virus.  She says school nurses throughout Washington County talk to each other regularly as well as with the Washington County Department of Public Health. As of Friday, Washington County’s 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate was 19.0%