Montgomery ISD to close early for spring break with new coronavirus case in county

Montgomery ISD Superintendent Beau Rees announces the district will close schools Thursday and Friday ahead of the district’s spring break during a press conference at the Montgomery County Hospital District Administration Building, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Conroe. Montgomery County officials announced the first ‘presumptive positive’ case of coronavirus in the county. The patient, a Montgomery County man in his 40s, is being treated at a local hospital, and the positive test has been submitted to the Centers for Disease Control for final confirmation. less Montgomery ISD Superintendent Beau Rees announces the district will close schools Thursday and Friday ahead of the district’s spring break during a press conference at the Montgomery County Hospital District ... more Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Montgomery ISD to close early for spring break with new coronavirus case in county 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Montgomery Independent School District will release early for spring break due to Montgomery County’s first presumptive positive case of the new coronavirus, said Superintendent Dr. Beau Rees.

The school district’s calendar has spring break slated for next week from Monday to Friday. The school district released a statement on social media that all campuses and departments will close this Thursday and Friday.

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The school officials said it has moved to a Level 3 Alert Status due to Montgomery County’s first presumptive positive case of the new coronavirus, which Montgomery County Public Health District and the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management has confirmed.

“While the health officials believe the risk to our school community is low at this time, Montgomery ISD, out of an abundance of caution and to provide additional time for deep cleaning, will cancel school on Thursday and Friday, March 12 and (March) 13,” the district stated. “Again, this is out of an abundance of caution.”

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Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Sonja Lopez confirmed in a phone interview with The Courier that the students will remain on campus for a full day Wednesday. The students are expected to return on March 23.

“We will continue to communicate if there are any changes,” Lopez said.

The school district stated it plans to continue to work with the Montgomery County Health Department on additional steps to help contain future potential exposure to the community when the students return from break.

Lopez said that the school district is the only Montgomery County school district that was not on spring break and that the district has not received any information indicating that the school district has been exposed to a COVID-19 case.

mellsworth@hcnonline.com