WACO, Texas — Waco High students will continue learning remotely through November 20, as Principal James Stewart said a significant number of school employees would be out due to COVID-19 infections or close contact with infected individuals.
The remote learning period was extended by a week, after the school closed Nov. 9 and was set to reopen Nov. 16. Now, the reopening date has been pushed back to Monday, Nov. 30 after the Thanksgiving break. With more than 20 teachers out, Stewart says it would be difficult to have in-person classes.
“The number of employees who are out next week would make it difficult to adequately supervise in-person students and safely re-open the campus for in-person instruction," Stewart said in a letter to families and employees. "With that in mind, we made the decision to extend remote learning for all students through Thanksgiving Break."
Since the initial decision to transition online, Stewart said the school has learned about "several people" who have tested positive for the virus and another who tested positive and was potentially infectious while on campus.
"We have already notified the families of any students and any employees who were in close contact with that person."
University High School is still on track to reopen Monday, Nov. 16 as of this publication.
Stewart is encouraging others to monitor themselves for possible COVID-19 symptoms and take advantage of the free testing sites offered around Waco.
