Orcutt Union School District: Students return to in-person classes amid Omicron surge

ORCUTT, Calif. - The Orcutt Unified School District is hard at work calculating well over
700 students out sick for the day.

"Cases are rising and we were expecting to have more
Cases from when we came back from winter break than we had previously … and
we’re seeing that," said superintendent Dr. Holly Edds of the Orcutt Unified School District.

Right now the school district is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases
with at least 110 students and staff in isolation.

But says classes are running smoothly as all health protocols remain the highest priority.

"Our families are coming in for morning drop in tests … we started
distributing the at home testing kits … inform our families … and try to
help keep our community safe," said Edds.

Currently, the school district is not allowing nonessential visitors inside
campuses For everyone’s health and safety.

"You know kids come first in our district and the healthiest thing it’s for
kids to be in school in person … it’s so as a parent as an administrator …
we have to make sure that our kids are safe," said assistant superintendent of Human Resources Susan Salucci.

Orcutt Junior high is currently has at least 27 staff and students in isolation due to COVID-19.

But despite Omicron making its way through the community, spirits are high
with the school district.

"As a district our staff send administrators to teachers to our classified
staff … But he has pulled together and just works together and made it
happen for kids," said Salucci.

"I look forward to getting Pass this pandemic and being able to Focus on
education being able to focus on that aspect of what we do and what we were
experts at before before we need to come well-versed in health," said Edds.

Administrators say they anticipated the surge in cases, so they were
prepared for this ahead of time.