Additional HHS employee, Intermediate School student test positive for COVID-19; Intermediate and High Schools to close 11/2, North Hornell and Bryant Schools remain open

The Hornell City School District learned this weekend that an additional employee at the Hornell High School has tested positive for COVID-19. This employee is connected to the previously-known positive case and has been in quarantine since the district learned of the initial case, said Superintendent Jeremy Palotti. Additionally, the district learned that a student in the Intermediate School has tested positive.

“When we learned that this new employee began experiencing symptoms last week, we began isolating and excluding what would be their close contacts, both students and employees,” Palotti wrote in an email to staff earlier today. “As a rule, we remain in communication with those that tested positive and those that were considered contacts of the positive. This communication, especially with the contacts, has helped us be ahead of testing and has allowed us to proactively begin the isolating and excluding earlier than would typically occur from the DOH.”

The Intermediate School student was in attendance Thursday for a short period of time before going home. Students connected with this student will be subject to quarantine by the Department of Health.

Due to three cases within close proximity to each other, the district will move both the Intermediate and High Schools to remote learning for Monday, November 2. The district will reevaluate the plan on Monday and communicate a plan for the following day to families.

At present, the North Hornell Elementary and Bryant Elementary Schools plan to open on time tomorrow morning (11/2). According to Palotti, these buildings are completely isolated from the other two schools and at this time do not share the same connections to these cases that exist between the Intermediate and High Schools. This is always subject to change based on any new information that we receive throughout the day.

Parents with questions are asked to contact the district office at 324-1302.