LA GRANDE — The La Grande School District’s COVID-19 infection rate for the week of Oct. 11-15 was up moderately from the week prior.

La Grande School District statistics indicate that 57 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 up 17 from the week of Oct. 4-7 when 40 students missed school because of COVID-19.

La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza said one likely reason for the increase from the previous week is that the second week was a day longer since the Oct. 4-7 week had only four days of classes. Mendoza said if not for the difference in days the COViD-19 counts for the two weeks would be more comparable.

The superintendent said he is thankful that his school district is continuing to operate despite the obstacles the pandemic poses. He said this is a credit to the determination and caring nature of the school district’s staff.

“We have great human beings in our schools who do everything they can to help our students on a daily basis,” Mendoza said.

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 second week in a row that no La Grande School District staff were out because of COVID-19. This is particularly noteworthy since nine La Grande School District staff members missed school the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1 due to COVID-19.

The LGSD’s statistics, based on reports to school district nurses, indicate that nine students were out due to testing positive for COVID-19. La Grande High School had three students out after testing positive, Central Elementary School and La Grande Middle school each had two students out and Island City and Greenwood Elementary schools each had one student out after positive tests.

A total of 39 students were being quarantined due to close contact with someone with COVID-19 or suspected of having COVID-19. Fourteen were from Central Elementary School, nine were from Greenwood Elementary School, eight were from LMS, seven were from LHS, and one was from Island City Elementary School. Students at LMS, Greenwood Elementary and Island City Elementary are among those being quarantined because of COVID-19 symptoms.

The COVID-19 picture is brighter in the Elgin School District, which now does not have any students or staff out due to COVID-19. This is an improvement from Oct. 12 when it had two students and one staff member out after testing positive for COVID-19.

However, the district has 15 students who are quarantined due to close contacts. The spike was unusual since the Elgin School District had had very few students out due to COVID-19 up to that point during the course of the school year.

Elgin School District Superintendent Dianne Greif credits her school district’s strong COVID-19 status to strict adherence to safety protocol.

“We’ve been overly cautious, but I would rather be overly cautious and keep everybody healthy as long as we can,” she said.

The North Powder School District is also continuing to have low COVID-19 rates. The school district has four students in quarantine due to close contacts but no students out due to positive COVID-19 tests. On the staff side, the school district does not have anybody out due to COVID-19.

“We have been very, very fortunate,” said North Powder School District Superintendent Lance Dixon.