A Limestone County school announced Sunday that it will close the new week on mounting fears of coronavirus, the first known school in the state to close its doors after opening to students last week.
Elkmont High School will be closed from Aug. 17 to Aug. 21, according to an email from Principal Elizabeth Cantrell. Four students at the school tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in around 40 students being sent home quarantined.
Limint County Superintendent Dr. Randy Shearouse said in a statement Aug. 13. That 18 of the people who were sent home were members of the football team.
Cantrell said in her email to parents, staff and community members that the decision to close was not made public and officials would monitor the situation throughout the week.
“It is our top priority to provide a safe learning environment for our students, staff and community,” Cantrell said in her email. “We will re-evaluate the situation at the end of this week and we will take extra care to clean and sanitize the school this week as well.”
The closure comes at noon through ongoing debate across the state over whether schools should be reopened, leading to a split in policy between Alabama’s various school systems.
Five students at Saraland High School tested positive last week and were immediately sent home. The school began to track contact and decided to stay open. “We had an individual who started developing COVID-19 symptoms yesterday,” Saraland City Schools Superintendent Aaron Milner told AL.com. “They had recorded it with a family member, it appears.”
Principal Cantrell said students would be provided with “high instruction purely through Google classroom.”
She added: “We will distribute devices to Seniors and Juniors who do not have a device tonight or have access to a device from 4: 30-5: 30 for Seniors and 5: 30-6: 30 for Juniors. This pick- “Up will be in front of Elkmont High School. Additional plans for other grades will be postponed as soon as possible.”
The closure does not affect Elkmont Elementary.
