LA GRANDE — The La Grande School District’s COVID-19 infection rate for the week of Oct. 18-22 was down dramatically from the week prior.

La Grande School District statistics indicate that 17 students missed school during the week because of positive COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 symptoms or close contact with those who have COVID-19. Those numbers are down 40 from the week of Oct. 11-15 when 57 students missed school because of COVID-19.

The school district’s statistics indicate that no staff members were absent during the week of Oct. 11-15 due to positive COVID-19 tests, symptoms of the disease or close contact with someone who has it. This marks the third week in a row that no La Grande School District staff were out because of COVID-19.

The district’s statistics, based on reports to school district nurses, indicate that just one La Grande High School student was out due to testing positive for COVID-19. A total of nine students were out the week of Oct. 11-15.

A total of 16 students were being quarantined due to close contact with someone with COVID-19 or suspected of having COVID-19. Three were from Central Elementary School, five were from Greenwood Elementary School, three were from LMS and five were from LHS.

La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza said the decline is due in part to a decrease in COVID-19 rates in the region.

“This reflects that,” he said.

The superintendent also credits the decline to how well students and staff are adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols.

“This is showing how great of a job people are doing of caring for one another,” he said.

Mendoza said that if the school district’s COVID-19 rate stays low for the next two to three weeks it will be able to begin moving into a less restrictive environment under the rules of the low risk category of its 2021 Communicable Disease plan. The school district is presently in the moderate risk category.

Moving into the low risk category would allow the school district to increase its number of volunteers, Mendoza said. The move would also put the school district a big step closer to being able to again have school assemblies.