Coronavirus fears close second Ky. school district for 4 weeks, Lexington school for a day

Two more Kentucky school districts announced Thursday that they would close for extended periods as coronavirus fears mounted and a Catholic elementary school principal in Lexington closed her school for one day.

Boyle County Public Schools in Danville will close from March 16 to April 10, district officials announced on its Facebook page. Boone County School officials on Wednesday night also announced nearly a monthlong shutdown.

Boone Superintendent Randy Poe in a video statement said one teacher was in quarantine and several families were in isolation across multiple schools.

Garrard County officials said on social media that the district will close from Friday until April 10.

The only counties where a total of 8 cases had been publicly confirmed as of 3 p.m. Thursday were Harrison, Fayette and Jefferson. Harrison County Schools were closed this week.

Christ the King Elementary Principal Paula Smith said in a letter to families that her Catholic school would close Friday for one day because a parent had been exposed to a person confirmed to have the coronavirus.

Lexington’s Christ the King closed for one day earlier in the month following concerns that a parent had treated a patient with a confirmed case of the virus, but no positive test for that parent was reported.

“I was made aware this afternoon that another parent in our community has been exposed to an individual who has a confirmed case of COVID-19,” Smith said in her Thursday letter. “While this parent has not tested positive for COVID-19, the parent was exposed. This parent and child have been in the building. “

Students will learn from home Friday and teachers will be available to them, she said. Smith has also canceled all extracurricular activities until further notice.

Owen County Schools made a similar announcement Thursday about canceling extracurricular activities and closed on Thursday because a staff member was self-quarantined at home. No confirmed cases had been reported in Owen County as of 3:15. p.m. Thursday.

Boyle County school officials said they made their decision “after much deliberation and consultation with the Boyle County Health department, and in light of the State of Emergency called by Governor Andy Beshear.”

Families in Boyle County will be able to communicate with district offices virtually and students will learn from home for at least several days because the district is among the 172 districts in Kentucky approved for a non-traditional instruction program through the state.

Boyle County and other districts are hoping to get approval from the Kentucky Department of Education to use more than 10 days in the program.

Beginning Monday, March 16 all school trips, athletic activities (including games and practices), club meetings, academic competitions and any other extracurricular activities are suspended until further notice in Boyle County, the Facebook post said.

The mounting school closings in Kentucky mirror others in the United States. Ohio officials announced Thursday that public schools in that state would shut down for three weeks.

This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 3:53 PM.