Five Lebanon City Schools students have tested positive for COVID-19, including four at the high school and one at the junior high school.

Two siblings, one at the high school and the other at the at the junior high school, are the latest to test positive for the new virus since the district began the school year last Monday. Three other children tested positive last week during Lebanon’s first week of school.

“They tested positive over the weekend,” Superintendent Todd Yohey said.

The tests and resulting quarantines of more than 80 students after contact tracing prompted some parents who had decided to send their kids to school to go with the district’s online alternative. An additional fee is now required.

Parent Michael Young questioned the district charging $150 to cover the cost of a license fee for the online curriculum because the deadline has passed for students to go to the district’s online learning alternative.

“You can’t charge me money now to reduce the risk in my home,” Young said Monday. “At this point, we’re not sure what to do.”

Yohey said parents now wanting to switch are required to pay the fee because the deadline, extended in August, was last Friday.

“People are locked in,” Yohey said Monday. “We gave parents the option to commit to one of those options.”

Yohey said the district had committed staff and resources based on responses by Friday and would be compromising the quality of education of other students, while incurring additional costs. He said parents no longer wanting to send their kids to school could home school or enroll in another virtual learning program.

Young questioned the fee, noting no extra charge was added when the district used online learning to end last school year. He also pointed out public schools are funded largely from property tax levied on homeowners like him.

“I moved to this town because they have excellent schools here,” Young said.“I’ve chosen not to send my children to school now.”