Photo from the CDC

Area schools are preparing for the return of students in person following winter break.

The Pella Community School District reported some of its lowest absentee rates of the entire semester just before the holiday, with 22 students absent on December 21st — five of whom were for a positive COVID-19 test, and just 17 for other reasons. Just below two percent of the entire district population was quarantined and participating in remote learning, which was also one of the lowest marks since that data set was first released, and staff absenteeism was at 1.1 percent.

Superintendent Greg Ebeling says overall, their goal is to remain in person with a mix of virtual options for families opting into remote learning and individuals needing to self-isolate.

Central College students are encouraged to quarantine or self-isolate for up to two weeks before returning to campus in January, where similar mitigation strategies will remain in place from the fall. In total, there were 160 reported positive cases on campus from August 24th through December 20th.

The PCM school district had 26 students and/or staff miss class on the final day before Christmas on December 21st, or 2.1% of the district population. Those numbers joined others in being much lower than the surge in cases and absences seen in November, especially before Thanksgiving.