BRISTOL — A co-president of the Bristol Warren Education Association said in an email that a Bristol teacher recently testing positive for the coronavirus is an example of why the association has been advocating for the school district to continue with distance learning for the beginning of the year and gradually begin in-person learning as conditions become safer.

Responding to a reporter’s question about a teacher testing positive, association co-president Michelle Way DaSilva wrote that she could not discuss specifics of the case, but that it exemplifies concerns her group has had for months.

“What we can say is that this is surely a sign of things to come,” she wrote. “Once schools open up with any form of in-person teaching, we expect to see many more cases and more disruptions to our district schools because of it.”

Bristol Warren Regional School District Superintendent Jonathan Brice did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

DaSilva wrote that she believes the district administration has taken measures to protect the health and safety of students and staff. But, she said she thinks that members of the school community should not be expected to return until they have proof that it will be safe, even in buildings full of young students.

“To accomplish this enormous task, our School Committee needs to acknowledge that our students are children, and will therefore behave as children do; generally, children are often unpredictable and are not always cognizant of the potential consequences of their actions,” she wrote. “It is the job of every adult to do what we can to protect them, starting with the School Committee.”

In a back-to-school letter posted to the district’s website at the end of August, Brice wrote that the school was preparing to reopen either in person, with distance learning, or in a hybrid mode and that the administration would be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.

Last week, Gov. Gina Raimondo said that all districts in the state have the “green light” to open for full in-person learning, except for Providence and Central Falls because of high positive test rates. However some districts, such as Cumberland, have opted to open the school year with distance learning, while others, such as Warwick, have chosen to bring some students back and others will learn remotely.