On the eve of El Reno Public Schools returning to in-person learning, the district has been forced to close down Lincoln Learning Center due to a teacher testing positive for COVID-19.

The district has quarantined the teacher, who tested positive through a rapid test, as well as nine other employees who were directly exposed. Among those self-quarantined include two school administrators.

“I found out Tuesday night about 7:30 that we have had one teacher test positive and nine others directly exposed. They are all under self-quarantine,” said El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay.

Lincoln, which houses the district’s third- and fourth-grade students, will now be shut down and sanitized.

“The whole school site will be closed. The first 24 hours it will sit dormant and the next 24 hours we will go in there and disinfect the entire school,” said McVay.

McVay said the rest of the district will continue with in-person classes on Thursday, but Lincoln students will switch to online classes through El Reno Virtual as well as using paper packets as needed.

“Lincoln will transition to distance learning on Thursday and stay that way through Sept. 3 unless there is mitigating circumstances to extend that,” said McVay.

According to the district’s COVID-19 response plan, the nine exposed employees will remain quarantined for 14 days and are urged to get tested for the coronavirus. The teacher with the positive test will have to remain isolated for 10 days and produce a negative test before returning. The difference in days is according to new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I would urge them all to go get tested,” said McVay.

McVay said there are other employees being tested at different sites on Wednesday but the district will move forward with in-person classes as planned.

“It’s hurtful and emotional and it’s not what we wanted to do but it’s not unexpected. I’ve told my staff I was expecting to get this call this Sunday, so it’s come a little faster than expected.

“We will work the plan that we have had in place for a couple of months now,” said McVay.