No lab confirmed COVID-19 cases in Yorkville schools since Sept. 9, docouments show

YORKVILLE – Five schools within Yorkville School District 115 had students or staff with suspected COVID-19 cases but there have been no lab confirmed cases since Sept. 9, according to emails sent home to district families.

According to district documents obtained by Record Newspapers via the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Yorkville school officials have sent a total of 20 emails to families district-wide regarding potential virus exposure, suspected COVID-19 cases or lab confirmed cases from Sept. 9 through Wednesday, Sept. 23. There were no emails about lab confirmed cases included within the obtained district documents.

Schools affected during that timeframe include Bristol Bay Elementary School, Grande Reserve Elementary School, Bristol Grade School, Yorkville Intermediate School and Yorkville Middle School. There were two such emails sent to Bristol Bay families, two sent to Grande Reserve families, one email sent to Bristol Grade families, seven emails sent to Yorkville Intermediate families and eight emails sent to Yorkville Middle School families.

Melinda Lasky, student services director for the school district, said the district sends out a letter to families every time a classroom is relocated – though circumstances may not be the same with each relocation.

For example, Lasky said, if someone reports having one symptom, the affected class is relocated and the classroom is cleaned. For two or more symptoms, she said, the classroom is relocated for 24 hours, the air filtration system is turned off to and from that room and then custodians clean the room.

“Any time we have a student with two or more symptoms, they are considered a presumed positive case,” Lasky said.

With any actual positive cases, Lasky said, school officials send a letter to classroom students and the entire building. She said there are no follow-up emails sent if a presumed case comes back as a negative test result, but there are follow-up emails sent for cases that turn out to be lab confirmed positive.

The update comes after Yorkville schools notified families of one confirmed COVID-19 case, and multiple suspected cases from Aug. 20 through Sept. 9, according to district documents obtained by Record Newspapers via FOIA request on Sept. 9.

Schools affected during the Aug. 20 through Sept. 9 time frame included Autumn Creek Elementary School, Bristol Grade School, Yorkville Grade School, Circle Center Grade School, Bristol Bay Elementary School, Yorkville Middle School and Yorkville High School.