photo by: Nick Krug

The Lawrence school district offices are pictured at 110 McDonald Drive in this file photo from May 2017.

Three Lawrence High School students participating in extracurricular activities and a school district administrative staff member have tested positive for the coronavirus.

School district officials this week sent three letters to parents and staff informing them of the positive tests among students and an employee.

LHS Interim Principal Cynthia Johnson said in two separate emails that one student who practiced with the school’s marching band and two students practicing with the school’s cross country team had tested positive. She said all three students will stay away from the school for two weeks.

Additionally, she said the school canceled all cross country practices until Sept. 3 as a precaution because the team had conducted stretching exercises together and the school was unable to determine who may have been exposed or in close contact with the two students. She also noted the stretching exercises were done in the school’s west gym, which has been closed to be disinfected.

As for the marching band, practices appear to be continuing. Johnson said the marching band is working in small groups for a limited amount of time, and it’s mostly outside and using social distancing. However, she noted the school closed areas the student used, and those areas will be disinfected as well.

In a separate communication to administrative employees, district spokeswoman Julie Boyle said an employee of the district’s Education Support Center, 110 McDonald Drive, had tested positive for the virus and would stay away from work for two weeks. She said district administration would be in contact with staff members who may have been exposed to the virus or were in close contact with the employee.

The four cases were announced the same week that the Education Unified Command released its guidance to Douglas County school districts on how to conduct classes and activities during the pandemic. As the Journal-World has reported, the guidance includes four color-coded tiers — green, yellow, orange and red — with green denoting the safest conditions for students to return to in-person classrooms and allowing activities and athletics to continue as long as standard health precautions are taken, such as wearing masks and social distancing.

As of Friday morning, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health’s guidance was in the green phase. The health department’s up-to-date recommendation can be found on its education guidance website, ldchealth.org/457/Smart-and-Safe-School-Reopening.