On the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 23, Sedona-Oak Creek School District issued a statement to the parents or guardians of students at Sedona Red Rock High School, letting them know that someone on the campus had received a positive test result for COVID-19.

SOCSD Director of Operations Jennifer Chilton told Larson Newspapers that it was a SRRHS student who received a positive test result. SRRHS serves grades 7-12.

“We have worked with Yavapai County Community Health Services in identifying and personally notifying anyone with close contact,” Chilton wrote in an email.

The letter to parents went on to specify that YCCHS is taking further steps to deal with the case.

“The affected individual has been isolated,” SOCSD Superintendent and SRRHS Principal Dennis Dearden wrote in the letter. “Their immediate family/household members and all identified close contacts have been directed to quarantine, monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, and work with their health care providers to get tested as directed by YCCHS.”

He went on to say that “any individual identified as a close contact has already been notified via direct, personal communication.”

The district identifies close contact as being six feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

“We will update you promptly with any additional pertinent information as we receive it. Please continue to monitor your child and yourself for symptoms and stay home if anyone in your household is sick,” the letter closed.

The high school has not made changes to its current hybrid teaching model, which had around 80% of students going to school in-person and the rest working virtually.

However, those students who were potentially exposed are now working from home as a precaution.

“As we are currently offering both in-person and virtual instructional options, we have not changed our delivery model,” SOCSD Superintendent Deana DeWitt wrote in an email to Larson Newspapers on Monday, Oct. 26. “Those who have been identified as having had close contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19 are being required to quarantine for 14 days.  During that time, students in quarantine will be attending school virtually. We are working with YCCHS and monitoring the situation closely.”  

More information will be shared as it develops. You can view the letter in full here.