District 13 to close for two days in precautionary step

District 13 announced that it will close its schools Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure to allow time for the thorough sanitizing of district facilities beyond what is mandated by state Department of Health and Education Department guidelines amid the growing coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter by Schools Superintendent Dr. Constance Evelyn posted to the district website on Friday, she said the move was “out of an abundance of concern for our staff and students during this pandemic health crisis.” Additionally, she said, the closure will also give county Department of Health officials time to investigate any possible links between District 13 staff and those in the Central High School District, where on Thursday it announced that a staff member at Memorial Junior High School had tested positive for the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus.

There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus among District 13 staff members or students, Evelyn reported.

Monday and Tuesday will be counted as snow days, and she said that in preparation for a possible long-term school closure, district officials had prepared a two-week instructional packet to allow for students to continue their studies at home with plans to expand the packet should it prove necessary. She advised parents to begin Day 1 of the packet during the announced closure.