OCFSD Continues Partial In-person Student Attendance Despite Their 350 COVID-19 Phase Threshold Rate For Full Virtual Learning Is Surpassed By 372.6 Cases Per 100,000 In Population, Student Parents Claim

The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School Districts Board is allegedly reconsidering its COVID-19 threshold phase of 350 infection rate per 100,000 of the population to go into full virtual learning and keeping its students safe from the pandemic surge in Milwaukee County including Oak Creek and Franklin.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

October 14, 2020

Oak Creek, WI - Student parents of the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School Districts (OCFSD) are claiming in social media that the school Board is reconsidering changing its current COVID-19 phase threshold rate of 350 positive cases per 100,000 of the local population in order not to go into full virtual learning to keep the students safe from infection and spreading the virus to their families including relatives and the local population.

The Oak Creek Health Department testing results indicated that at least 372.6 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 in the local population have been reported. Which surpassed the OCFSD own threshold of 350 cases on its COVID-19 phase threshold to go into full virtual learning. Apparently, the OCFSD has failed to follow its own COVID-19 threshold guidelines to protect students and staff (including teachers) from getting infected and causing a surge of the virus within the school district to keep the students enrolled in the partial in-person attendance instead of going full virtual learning. Its pure negligence by the school Board to continue operating as is when COVID-19 positive cases have surpassed the OCFSD own threshold guidelines.

The OCFSD COVID-19 data dashboard cases for October 9, 2020 indicated that 7 students tested active positive for the virus, 93 students were in quarantine, there were 2 staff active virus cases and 7 staff in quarantine. 

The OCFSD COVID-19 data dashboard case update for October 15, 2020 indicated that 15 students tested active positive for the virus, 230 students were in quarantine, there were 4 staff active virus cases and 50 staff in quarantine.

The students who tested positive and those in quarantine were identified by assigned school, but the staff testing positive and in quarantine weren't identified by assigned school indicating a double standard used by the school Board.

By the OCFSD own threshold guidelines, the school districts should have been placed on full virtual learning until the threshold COVID-19 cases show a decrease to continue partial in-person attendance, according to parents.

One parent in an email to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) wrote, "I read the school board minutes for the Special Meeting on Sep 8 that included potential updates to phased entry and re-entry criteria. That update summarizes part of the discussion held at the Aug 24 board committee meeting RE: the district dashboard. It says:

"The Board specifically discussed Percent Positivity and how it could be influenced by factors such as interruptions to the amount of testing materials available, total tests being conducted in our community, decisions to only test people experiencing symptoms, and a variety of other factors which may influence the viability of Percent Positivity as binding criteria for transitioning between phases of instruction.  Board President Carini subsequently added this Special Meeting."

"So they want to propose focus on the "disease burden" (cases per 100,000 residents). Ok, fine. However, during this same week they add an additional risk category called "Critical" to the disease burden charts making the City's case load appear like it's in a lower risk category when things are still flaring out of control here. Bottom line, they are moving the goalposts to suit the board's aim: returning to full time, in-person instruction. This is why we gotta get out of this defunded, right-wing district."

So far, at least more than 215,000 people in the U.S. have died from complications with COVID-19 and more than 7.83M positive cases have been reported.

In Wisconsin, at least 152,578 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported and 1,536 deaths have been confirmed, by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, since the Coronavirus outbreak nationally.

In Milwaukee County, at least 32,383 COVID-19 cases have been reported and 439 deaths.

The City of Oak Creek COVID-19 Status Dashboard data, since the last update (10/6/2020) reported, 37 new cases, 1,045 positive cases of 9,616 total of individuals tested with 23 deaths and they're at least 109 cases active.

The City of Franklin, Wisconsin Health Department COVID-19 Status Dashboard data, since last update (10/14/2020) reported, 933 positive cases of 12,643 total individual tests, 14 positive cases, since last update, with 102 active cases of 933 and 12 deaths reported.

Update : On Thursday, the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School Districts (OCFSD) Board on a vote of 4-3 will go to all virtual learning on Monday, October 19, 2020 for at least two weeks after experiencing a surge of infected students (19 infected and 230 quarantine) and staff (4 infected and 50 quarantine) as of 10/15/2020, according to the OCFSD Dashboard Status data.