The East Sac County (ESC) Community School District has announced they will be continuing the one-hour early dismissal schedule through the end of next week. School officials switched to the shortened schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 24 due to an increasing number of students being quarantined and to allow teachers more time to assist students participating in remote learning. This practice will remain in place through Friday, Oct. 9. Administrators may choose to extend the early dismissal schedule based on the county’s positivity rate, the number of quarantined students and other factors. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) released new guidance this week that will not require students and teachers to quarantine following a confirmed COVID-19 exposure if face coverings were worn correctly by the infected individual and the close contacts. The school is optimistic this change will encourage more students to wear masks and reduce the number forced to learn from home.