Two Alabama schools were forced to switch to virtual instruction after an individual connected to both schools tested positive for coronavirus, a local news outlet reported.
Moulton Elementary School and Moulton Middle School each canceled in-person classes and opted to transition into virtual classes until August 26, when the schools are scheduled to reopen.
Superintendent of the Lawrence County School District Jon Bret Smith spoke to the Decatur Daily about the positive test and subsequent actions taken by the school district to mitigate the risk of a local outbreak.
Lawrence County School Superintendent Jon Bret Smith says students from the elementary and middle schools in Moulton will start the academic year taking classes online. https://t.co/8Po9fQ451d
— WVUA 23 (@wvua23) August 12, 2020
“We’ve been made aware of an individual yesterday who has tested positive for COVID,” Smith said on Tuesday. “This individual has had close contact with people from both Moulton Elementary School and Moulton Middle School. We reached out to the Alabama Department of Public Health for guidance, and its recommendation was to postpone the opening of those schools for two weeks.”
Education officials had learned on Monday that an employee of the school district had tested positive for the coronavirus. Officials notified all individuals who had come into contact with this employee of the positive test, according to a post from the Moulton Middle School Facebook page. (RELATED: Georgia School District Orders Quarantine For Over 900 Students And Staff After Reopening)
The schools are following guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama State Department of Education, and the Alabama State Superintendent in shutting down the two schools and delivering instruction virtually until August 26, according to the Facebook post.
The school district is also planning to distribute Chromebooks to students from these two schools so they can be virtually instructed for the next two weeks, per the Decatur Daily.
Moulton Middle School serves 570 students in grades five through eight, and has 33 teachers and 12 support workers on staff, according to their website. Moulton Elementary School serves over 600 students from kindergarten through fourth grade and has 60 staff members, according to the Decatur Daily.
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