Education

WASHINGTON, DC -- About 80 Las Cruces High School students and others from Mesa and Sierra middle schools in the nation's capitol on a school trip found their conference abruptly canceled Wednesday and now face a return home that includes being asked to self-quarantine.

The Student Television Network, which was hosting the conference of media students from across the country, announced they were pulling the plug on it after D.C. city officials urged organizers to cancel to help stem the spread of coronavirus.

"Due to the D.C. Heath Department’s recommendation that non-essential mass gatherings of 1,000 or more, including conferences and conventions, be postponed or cancelled, the Board of Directors has made the decision to cancel the Convention and related contests and activities," said a statement posted by STN to its website.

The announcement came just hours after the students had arrived and sent Las Cruces Public Schools officials scrambling to figure out their return.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the district said the students "will be returning home as soon as possible" and "precautions have been outlined for when those groups return."

The district is requesting that the students self-quarantine along with their families.

"As a precaution, district officials are asking parents of students traveling to Washington, D.C. to stay home until after Spring Break. Siblings of those students are also asked to stay home," the LCPS statement said.

“This is a fluid situation,” added LCPS Superintendent Karen Trujillo. “We are monitoring what the Department of Health is advising and relaying our plans to parents and staff as quickly as we can. Just as we saw today, information regarding this pandemic is constantly being updated.”