March 16, 2020 8:00 PM

Idabel ISD is committed to providing timely information and facts for our families. This FAQ page will be updated regularly, so revisit the site often. 

What is the coronavirus? The COVID-19 Coronavirus is an emerging and rapidly evolving outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and which has now been detected in many locations internationally, including cases in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2,” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

What are the common symptoms of Coronavirus? 

• People who have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus have reported symptoms that may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus:

How can my child and family stay well? 

To help prevent the spread of illness, follow these important tips:

• Where can I find more information about the Coronavirus? This is an evolving situation. Stay up to date by consulting the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.

• Will Idabel ISD buildings be open? Building access to all Idabel ISD facilities will be limited. We do not want students or parents to come to our buildings for any reason until we have had a chance to survey all employees and families to certify travel the past 14 days. We still plan to send a survey to all Warrior families sometime soon and ask that you participate. You will be asked to fill out the survey and will be contacted if Idabel ISD or health officials have any questions about your travel or survey response. DeWayne Melton, District of Maintenance will work with our facility staff and campus principals to address any facility-related needs, including any continued deep cleaning of classrooms and commons areas. If there are employees who need their laptops, materials or personal effects, they have been instructed to contact their immediate supervisor to work out details later this week. Building access may be granted for temporary periods of time to accommodate staff needs.

• Are there any extracurricular activities and events? All Idabel ISD extracurricular events and activities are canceled. This means ALL – no practices, games, competitions or rehearsals. Idabel ISD will work with the OSSAA and our area schools to reschedule and/or plan for activities to resume when school reopens.

• Will meals be available for those eligible for the free & reduced lunch program? All of the Idabel ISD students enrolled will still have the option of receiving their daily meal benefits. All children under the age of 18 will be eligible for free breakfasts and lunches regardless of their district enrollment. Meals will be delivered to regular bus stop drop off locations as well as a drive-through “grab and go” meal at Central Elementary between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. Should you have questions, please direct them to the Child Nutrition Department at (580) 286-7639.

• Will my child be able to participate in online learning? The Idabel ISD Curriculum and Instruction staff have provided some online resources and links should any of you want your children to do educational activities during the first week of this closure. In collaboration with other neighboring school districts, Idabel ISD won’t officially move to online learning and teacher-prepared lessons until the Oklahoma State Department of Education allows us to move in that direction beginning April 6th. For our students with disabilities (IEP and Section 504), Idabel ISD will ensure these students have equal access to the same educational services being provided to the general student population, to include any related services these students may require.

• How will I hear updates from the district on the next steps? Our goal is to provide you with up-to-date information as it becomes available. Official messaging and communications to Warrior families and staff will be coordinated through Doug Brown, Superintendent. Our goal is to be as transparent and organized as possible during this time. If you have questions, please submit the question through email to doug.brown@idabelps.org. You have to remember to include your contact information if you want Idabel ISD to respond to you directly. Be patient as we work through the questions. We will also be preparing an FAQ with further details and posting it online for your convenience. There will be updates through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as, our website. 

• Can Idabel ISD provide childcare during school closures? While we understand the hardship an extended closure creates for families, Idabel ISD is a public education provider, not a childcare provider. Our employees live in communities all across McCurtain County and have families of their own to care for, too. Our goal is social distancing and avoiding large gatherings of children to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We do not have plans to provide childcare during the school closures.