All schools in Perry County made the decision this week to shut their doors in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
St. Vincent de Paul schools in Perryville were first to make the announcement on Sunday, followed by Perry County School District on Monday. Immanuel Lutheran in Perryville, United in Christ Lutheran in Frohna and Altenburg Public School soon followed suit. As of Tuesday evening, Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson had not reached a decision on the matter, but one is expected later this week.
“This precautionary closure complies with the president’s request that all Americans practice social distancing and the CDC recommendation to limit crowds to under 50 people, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19,” PCSD superintendent Andy Comstock wrote in a letter emailed to district parents on Monday afternoon.
At St. Vincent, which serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, the decision to close came from a higher authority.
On Sunday, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced via Twitter that it was closing all archdiocesan elementary and high schools — including all grades pre-K through 12 — beginning Wednesday, March 18, a list of schools that includes St. Vincent.
Deacon Rob Huff, St. Vincent’s head of schools, informed parents of the decision in a letter later that day, and in subsequent posts on social media, school officials stated the closure would likely remain in effect until at least April 6, although there was no definite return date.
“Archbishop [Robert] Carlson says the health and safety of the people of the archdiocese is a priority and sees this as the best path forward to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our area,” Huff wrote.
On Monday, Perry County School District 32 issued a similar letter, sent to district parents over email, which stated that classes would also be suspended beginning Wednesday. Classes are expected to resume on April 6.
“As a school district, we have been closely monitoring developing news from the Centers For Disease Control, the White House, and local and state health agencies regarding the spread of the coronavirus disease,” Comstock wrote. “With the March 13 federal and state emergency declarations, plus additional presumed positive cases in Missouri, we have made the difficult decision to close all schools at Perry County School District 32 as a precautionary measure to protect our staff, students and community.”
According to Comstock, PCSD — the largest school district in the county — typically has more than 2,700 people on campus on a daily basis, with as many as 750 students in crowded hallways at the same time.
The closure will affect all school programming, including before- and after-school activities, all athletic and extracurricular practices and competitions, and all weekend events. There will be no access to campus buildings until classes resume.
Comstock told parents that the district would not be offering online instruction, citing the number of students who do not have access to broadband internet outside of school.
“Far too many of our students do not have established, reliable internet access at home, making it impossible for those students to participate in remote classroom instruction,” Comstock said. “However, our schools will share enrichment opportunities through the district website and social media sites. I encourage your family to take advantage of these activities.”
The district also shared the news that Charter Communications will offer free Spectrum broadband and wireless access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100Mbps. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.
Comstock stated that parents and students should be prepared for all of these days to be added to the school calendar as make-up days after our scheduled last day of May 22.
“At this time, we do not know how many, if any, days will be forgiven by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” Comstock said, adding that parents would notified through the district’s automated system once the DESE reaches a decision.
PCSD has also set up a special Coronavirus Resources Page online at www.perryville.k12.mo.us/coronavirus, where the district will share guidance on protecting and responding to coronavirus, along with providing updates from its various schools.
“We understand that this closure will cause an inconvenience for many of our families, but trust that you will support our efforts on behalf of the wellness of our entire community,” Comstock said.
Immanuel Lutheran School in Perryville closed school at the end of the day on Wednesday.
“We wanted to give our parents and staff the ability to get everything in order before closing,” said Immanuel Lutheran Principal Velda Haertling said. “We will be evaluating the situation daily and hour by hour. We want to do what is best for our kids.”
