MCHS stops sending COVID case email alerts

Though the district will update the COVID-19 Dashboard, they have deeemed the weekly email “no longer effective”

District+156+sent+out+an+email+in+late+January+explaining+that+the+district+will+no+longer+alert+parents+or+students+when+there+is+a+new+Covid+case+on+either+campus.

Kennedy Tetour

District 156 sent out an email in late January explaining that the district will no longer alert parents or students when there is a new Covid case on either campus.

Ciara Duncan, Features Editor

As the MCHS approaches a year since it closed its doors due to COVID-19, school officials have decided it will no longer email members of the school community about cases of COVID-19 within MCHS.

MCHS used to send out a weekly email detailing if there had been new cases within the school. Earlier this winter, Superintendent Ryan McTague decided, in conjunction with the school nurses and student services, that this weekly email was “no longer effective.”

Instead, they have decided to continue updating the COVID-19 dashboard itself, and now include information such as the individual number of cases between students and staff, whether the cases have come from East or West Campus, and how many of the infected students or staff are now in quarantine. 

Due to privacy laws, the dashboard still does not detail who the infected persons are.

Still, if there is a situation where a student is possibly exposed to the virus and needs to be contacted for contact tracing, McTague states that MCHS would send out an email or phone calls to the exposed person regarding this. 

In addition to this, McTague also states that if there is a situation where there is an outbreak within the community, MCHS, or certain MCHS programs and extracurriculars, they would also notify the community directly through email or phone call.

Without a weekly reminder, students and parents within the MCHS community will have to remain diligent with checking the updated COVID dashboard themselves to find out information regarding COVID cases at MCHS. The new and improved dashboard can be found by going to the “Our District” tab on the MCHS District 156 website, and scrolling down to the “Covid Resources” link.