COVID-19 numbers increasing in FPS district

Fremont Public Schools Superintendent Mark Shepard said COVID-19 numbers are increasing in the district. 
 
“Our COVID-19 numbers are going in a direction we really don’t want them to go,” he said this morning. “We’re currently at 74 students out and 14 staff out as of yesterday with positive tests. … It still represents a pretty small percentage of our overall student population.” 
 
Shepard said another number that officials focus on is a little more concerning.  
 
“That is the number of students that are out due to illness or quarantine,” he said. “That number has grown to about 340. That is almost 7% of our overall enrollment of just under 5,000.” 
 
The superintendent said the numbers for both illnesses out and COVID-19 are the highest the district has had this school year. He said officials will continue to work closely with the Three Rivers Public Health Department and analyze all protocols. 
 
The district implemented a mandatory mask requirement on Tuesday and will extend it through Jan. 28. 
 
“We received quite a bit of feedback from the public in that regard,” Shepard said. “There was a little bit of positive, but mostly negative. People are concerned about it. They are concerned about a lack of choice. They are concerned about all the things we know and read about in regard to masking.”
 
Shepard said officials are just doing what is best for the district. 
 
“We’re basing our decisions based on our numbers,” he said. 
 
COVID-19 has been prevalent in the world for about two years. Shepard believes FPS students have adapted to the various challenges the disease has presented. 
 
“The students are really good,” he said. “They were good a year ago when we were masked the whole year and they’ve been good this week. They want to be in school. They remember what it was like when we lost the whole quarter, basically, at home and had to shut down all activities and everything we were about. They are going to do what they need to do to stay in school.”