BRUNSWICK COUNTY – Two Brunswick County elementary schools are transitioning to 100% remote learning due to concerning levels of Covid-19 spread within the buildings.
Union Elementary will transition to 100% remote learning for students starting Monday, Feb. 1.
Related: How Town Creek Elementary became the largest Covid-19 cluster in NC
Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary closed to students for in-class instruction starting Friday, Jan. 28.
Students at both schools will return in person on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Both Union Elementary and Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary are confirmed clusters, meaning at least five positive cases within the buildings were connected in some way.
According to BCS spokesperson Daniel Seamans, the clusters at both schools are linked to an “outside community source.”
“In other words, student families from both schools were connected in some way to the original cluster in the community,” he added.
According to BCS’ Covid-19 dashboard, Union Elementary has five cases and 62 people are quarantining after coming in close contact with a person who later tested positive for Covid-19. There are eight confirmed cases at Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary and 60 individuals are quarantining.
Seamans said Servepro and the custodial crew deep cleaned Jessie Mae Monroe Friday while staff teleworked and will clean Union Elementary this week. Teachers and staff are expected to return to the buildings on Monday to continue running remote instruction from the schools.
“We ask that everyone please continue to practice the 3Ws of wearing a mask, waiting six feet apart when possible and washing hands frequently while in the community so that we can all help decrease the impact of Covid-19 inside the school system,” Seamans said.
BCS’ elementary school students have been attending schools five days a week under the governor’s Plan A. However, toward the end of the fall semester, Leland Middle and Town Creek Elementary experienced clusters that led the school board to delay the building reopenings at the start of the spring semester.
All students learned from home for the first two weeks, up until Jan. 19.
Middle and high school students have come in buildings only twice a week under Plan B. Gov. Roy Cooper has not yet allowed secondary schools to open fully.
During this time, all families have had the option to keep their children 100% remote.
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