Staff Report
LUDLOW — The Two Rivers Supervisory Union is closing its schools until further notice due to a COVID-19 case out of Ludlow, according to district administration.
The district includes Black River High School Middle School, Cavendish Town Elementary School, Chester-Andover Elementary School, Green Mountain Union School, Ludlow Elementary School and Mount Holly School. TRSU Superintendent Meg Alison Powden made the announcement on Saturday afternoon through the school’s website and social media.
“An individual from Ludlow has a presumptive case of COVID-19 coronavirus,” Powden said in the announcement. “Given what I know about this situation, and after being in conversation with a nurse from the Vermont Department of Health and Secretary (Dan) French of the Agency of Education, I have decided to close our schools until further notice,” Powden said.
The schools are all closed to students, teachers and most staff.
“Only the administration, school nurses and maintenance personnel are allowed in our buildings at this time,” Powden said, adding that she will keep the community updated on the status of the situation.
The closure came on the same day that three new COVID-19 cases were announced in Vermont. It was not clear if the Ludlow case was one of them.
Also on Saturday afternoon, Dan French, Vermont’s secretary of education, issued an announcement with guidance for school district leaders on handling school closures, which he acknowledged may happen quickly.
“Districts should be urged, strongly, to think clearly and carefully about the guidance from the Vermont Department of Health and impact of school closures on overall response,” French said in the statement.
He also said, “At this time, I recommend you plan for the possibility of the prolonged, preemptive closure of the schools in your district. The decision to close schools will be made with as much advance notice as possible, but we all recognize that this may occur quickly based on the best science and the guidance of the best public health experts we have in Vermont.”
French issued the following points for local districts to consider:
“Based on the best available public health science, data and assessments specific to COVID-19 closing schools in Vermont at this time is not recommended by the Vermont Department of Health. Again, this recommendation is based on the best available information and expertise.”
“Closing our schools and childcare centers immediately would negatively, and in some areas severely, impact the ability of healthcare workers and others to report to work at a time when we need them making critical preparations.
“As we all know, there are also many students who have special, often significant, needs or who rely on school for much of their food. We should not close schools until there are effective plans in place to meet the needs of these students.”
French added, “The Governor also directs me to lead contingency planning for school closures in Vermont — this work is well underway — and has waived all penalties for truancy, so parents are free to keep their children out of school if they choose to do so.”
The state’s website dedicated to the novel coronavirus is healthvermont.gov/covid19.
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