Officials with the Atlantic Community School District in cooperation with Cass County Public Health, said Sunday, “Due to the coronavirus, the Governor, Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Cass County Emergency Management, and Cass County Public Health are recommending that there be no non-essential gatherings outside of students and staff during regular school activities.

According to the new guidelines put in place, the only people allowed in the Atlantic facilities will be employees, students, and necessary emergency personnel.

Parents/guardians needing to pick up their child(ren) at a non-dismissal time will be met at the door by their child(ren) and a staff member after being identified through our entrance security video system. Any meetings between school staff and stakeholders will need to happen over the Internet or by telephone.

One question that has been asked is the option for a child to be home from school. If a student has a compromised immune system or has a health related issue, we understand that attendance at school may be a concern. Please be assured he/she will be excused. If you should decide to keep your child home from school, we understand and respect your right to do so. However, please be sure to communicate this decision to your child’s respective school. 

Any person(s) not feeling well should be kept home from school. Per our illness policy, if a person has a fever, vomiting and/or has a cough that is not controlled, he/she should stay home and not attend school. We will continue to follow public health guidelines with sanitizing, hand washing, covering coughs, and cleaning high touch surfaces.

Non-essential gatherings will be cancelled/postponed starting Monday, March 16, 2020, until the district receives guidance that it is safe to resume. This includes the following: banquets, no lunch guests, classroom speakers, assemblies, music/band concerts, PTO meetings, Booster Club meetings, etc.  In-season high school sports and activity practices will be allowed to continue as planned. All school travel, other than daily bus routes, is also suspended.

This is a fluid situation and officials will continue to update the information as it becomes available.