Pleasant Grove HS to close, move to modified schedule because of COVID-19 outbreak
(KUTV) — Pleasant Grove High School will close for two days and then change to a modified schedule starting Thursday because of an outbreak of COVID-19.
Parents received an email explaining the modified schedule after notice of the changes from the Alpine School District, Utah County Health Department and the city of Pleasant Grove. The two-day closure will allow teachers to plan and then students will be divided alphabetically by last name to arrange schedules by A Day and B Day. Students with names later in the alphabet will have four consecutive days out of the classroom this week, followed by a three-day weekend.
This letter from the school district and health department states the district reported 67 confirmed cases in the 91 schools and six district offices. Of those, 41 were students. Officials from the city, the county health department and the school made the decision to change schedules after a discussion. High school activities, including sports, will take place as scheduled and the school will continue to enforce and mandate face masks, social distancing and limiting spectator attendance at events.
Although part of Alpine's Return to Learn plans are to track and tabulate numbers at individual schools, we cannot control what happens outside of the school day, in the community, and in homes. Our united efforts are to help the Pleasant Grove area stop the transmission of COVID-19," the letter said.
UDOH is setting up a free COVID-19 mobile testing center at Pleasant Grove City's outdoor pool parking lot for testing on Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. UDOH asks residents to pre-register to help efficiency but they can also show up, although children under 18 are not allowed to be tested without a parent. Registration for the free testing is available at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTQfdJwpwFN2ZchxEWf_SbZiOa98sEJJfFSIPOnItYchUysw/viewform.
When school resumes on Thursday, those with last names A through K will have an A Day and then a B Day on Friday. Labor Day is Monday but when school resumes on Sept 8., those with last names L through Z will have an A Day and then a B Day the following day. The schedule alternates every two days through Sept. 15, according to the information provided to parents via email.
The Return To Learn plan was formulated by the Alpine district and approved by the state Board of Education. The full plan is available in Spanish and English at alpineschools.org/returntolearn/. Lunch is served as a grab-and-go option and bus schedules are as normal, but will have fewer students with the modified schedule. Online learning has always been an option according to the plan.
A spokeswoman said the health department is working closely with the school board and school district.
