July 14, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

More than 35 students quarantining at SJO

More than 35 students at St. Joseph-Ogden High School are quarantining after close contact to a person with COVID-19.


Currently, 36 students are quarantined and one student is positive for COVID-19. Zero staff are quarantined or positive.


“These are total numbers and not just released to one situation,” Principal Gary Page said.


Page said the district expected situations like this when they brought all students back to school full time in March.


Page said the quarantines are required if a student is within six feet of anyone that tests positive for COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 48 hour period.


“We are required by C-UPHD to quarantine that student from school,” he said. “In contact tracing we are asked to go back 48 hours from a positive test or the onset of symptoms.  So If student A starts developing symptoms on a Wednesday, we have to contact trace back to Monday.”


Page said in most classrooms, students are spaced between three and four feet apart. However, in a few classrooms they are still six feet apart.  


The current round of quarantines has required the JV volleyball team to cancel competitions. Page said there are other students that will miss extracurriculars as well.


“This is something we have learned to deal with because it is inevitable,” he said. “This time is more unique because students are having to quarantine because of being in a classroom.  This was very rare when we were on the hybrid schedule, but now we are back full it is the risk we take.”


Page said that even though the risk of students having to quarantine is higher due to being in closer contact, students are still getting more in person learning even if they do have to quarantine than they would on a hybrid schedule.


“If a student is able to attend in person for two school weeks they are able to accumulate 10 school days of in person learning during that time,” he said, “In a hybrid schedule it would take a student four weeks to have 10 in person days.”


Page said he understands the frustration parents have regarding students having to quarantine if they are wearing a mask and exposed to a COVID-19 positive person, the school shares the frustration.


“The CDC has stated that the risk of someone contracting COVID-19 while wearing a mask and being socially distanced at 3 feet is very unlikely,” Page said. “Which is why, we felt the time was right to survey our community and ultimately work together to get all back in.  However, the guidlines for what is considered a close contact and quarantining is still 6 feet mask or no mask.  As long as our state and local health department uses the 6 feet as the benchmark, that is the standard we must follow in the school.  It is important to remember that while it is frustrating to be quarantined even though you are masked up and socially distanced at 3-4 feet, wearing the mask is signficantly lowering the chance of actually contracting COVID.”


Page said the district feels going back to having students in the building daily was the right choice because student grades have signficantly increased and the d/f list has signficantly decreased. 


“We will see peaks and valleys with quarantines no matter what we do schedule wise and it is important not to panic or point fingers at individuals when we see a peak,” Page said. “We are all in this together, and it is important that we all continue to do our part to keep our community safe and while continuing to provide our young people with the quality of education they deserve and we expect as a community.”

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

SJO Winter Sports Letter/Awards Winners

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Dance TeamKatie EarleyCourtney MyrenSamantha BeetzGrace GettyTaylyn LockhartOlivia GettyReese WheatleyMadison WolkenAbby GettyLily RiceGracyn Sjoken MIP- Lily RiceDance Your Heart Out Award-...

SJO seniors earn $2 million in scholarships

June 14, 2019

June 14, 2019

The senior class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School received $2 million in scholarship money. Principal Gary Page told the Board...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade high honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Charlene Barbee Callie Barnett Reid Bewley Brady Blunier Tabbitha Brown Ella Buhs Sophia Chahine Charlotte Christians...

Emmert expresses himself via artwork

May 1, 2019

May 1, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Nathan Emmert loves creating art work. “I have always enjoyed making different kinds of art,” he said....

PVO Junior High 8th grade honor roll

April 27, 2023

April 27, 2023

8th Grade Highest Honors (3.7-4.0)Alec BowlinAnna HammondGarrett LoschenMason RammDennis RinebergJack WearEmerson WilliamsDalton York 8th Grade High Honors (3.4-3.69)Cylas HintonAvrianna LyttleKaden...

We the People holding one final fundraiser

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

There is one final chance to help the St. Joseph-Ogden We the People Civics Team fund their trip to Nationals...

COVID cases not tied to schools

November 10, 2020

November 10, 2020

There have been no cases of COVID-19 traced to any of the schools in St. Joseph.   Grade school Superintendent...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade honor rolls

January 19, 2022

January 19, 2022

7th Grade High Honor Roll Ahart, Lillian Albrecht, Samuel Bello, Abigail Benoit, Zachary Burnett, Colin Clark, Elizabeth Crider, Abigail Dahl,...

Opening address by Indira Robinson

May 18, 2021

May 18, 2021

Hello, it is my pleasure to be able to welcome staff, family, and friends to the Saint Joseph-Ogden class of...

Should children wear masks in school? Parents in St. Joseph weigh in

February 11, 2022

February 11, 2022

Earlier this week, St. Joseph Grade School, St. Joseph Middle School and St. Joseph-Ogden High School changed their decisions to...

Live at SJO school board, Dec. 17, 2024

December 17, 2024

December 17, 2024

Now I am here. They were apparently in closed for a while. #idkwhattheywerediscussing #itsalllegal They are discussing facility project updates...

Live at SJO school board, April 22, 2024

April 22, 2024

April 22, 2024

I am at SJO school board so you don’t have to be. Emily Williams has resigned as dance coach after...

‘Helping them reach their potential is humbling and rewarding at the same time’

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

A performance today will culminate one of the most powerful artistic and personal experiences Justin Lee has had in his...

Prairieview-Ogden first quarter 7th and 8th grade honor roll

October 21, 2024

October 21, 2024

Highest Honors (GPA greater than or equal to 3.7) Sydney Abernathy Reagan Blakey Allie Bott Chloe Bressner Ava Buhr Kolbie...

Wagle reaches out of her comfort zone

April 3, 2022

April 3, 2022

Alayna Wagle loves Halloween. So the Addams Family spooky motif is right up her alley. “I was pretty familiar with...

Comments
Leave a Reply