6th SFPS worker tests positive

Santa Fe Public Schools announced Tuesday another worker in its Facilities and Maintenance Department has tested positive for COVID-19.

That marks the sixth confirmed infection — three district employees and three contract workers — in the facilities department this summer, ahead of the new school year. The district has decided to keep campuses closed for at least the first nine weeks of school and conduct instruction in a remote-only model, in which teachers and students log in to online platforms, starting Aug. 20.

The other five workers tested positive for the virus between July 13 and July 16.

Superintendent Veronica García said all six of the infected workers appear to have contracted the virus outside the workplace.

Kristy Janda Wagner, the district’s executive director of operations, said the department had 69 employees and 341 contracted employees working at buildings this summer, including custodians, maintenance workers and various types of technicians.

García, citing a federal medical privacy law, said she couldn’t release any specific information about the infected employees or where they were working.

“All of our positive cases seem to be related to social circles outside of work. That’s really hard for us to control. We can say, ‘Wear a mask and don’t come to work if you’re sick,’ “García said.

“I do think these positive test have implications for when we think about going back to school if the numbers continue to be lower,” she added, referring to daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Fe and across the state. “You can see how one person testing positive could have a huge impact on a school and then the entire community.”

Under its COVID-19 protocols, Santa Fe Public Schools closes any affected area for 24 hours. Trained custodial staff then deep cleans and disinfects all affected spaces using products approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to kill the virus.

The district has said employees who require time off work to quarantine following a positive test result or for treatment of COVID-19 will be granted paid administrative leave that will not count against their allotment of sick leave.