Add Martinsville ISD to the growing list of area schools who have decided to shut down classes for several days as a result of the growing number of illnesses on campus, most of those related to COVID-19.

In a statement released Wednesday evening, Superintendent David Simmons spelled out the details of the closure.  There are currently 18 active COVID-19 cases at Martinsville schools involving students and 2 active cases involving staff.  The hope is that the nearly 2 week closure of the school will break the incubation cycle of the virus and allow the school to get the virus under control.

Here are excerpts from the Superintendent's statement:

"Martinsville ISD will be closed beginning IMMEDIATELY and extending through the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, September 6, 2021. This will include ALL extra-curricular events and practices. This will allow us to deep-clean the campus while we are closed and to be sure that individuals infected with the virus are not on campus when they are contagious. School will resume on Tuesday, September 7, 2021..."

"In keeping with MISD’s practices to respond to COVID-19, we are notifying all families that 6 students who were lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 were present on our campus, among our 5th, 6th, , 7th, and 9th grade, on August 24-25. Due to privacy requirements, we will not be releasing the names of the individuals or details that may identify him or her..."

"Total Active Cases at MISD (lab confirmed to have COVID-19) – 2 staff and 18 students. Moreover, we are at a 20% percent reduction in average daily attendance rate for this time of the school year."

Despite the unplanned closure of the school, Martinsville ISD should not have to adjust their instructional calendar because of the number of days built into the calendar, as well as available waiver days.

Martinsville ISD joins Wells, Woden and Kennard ISDs as school that had to cancel classes as a result of widespread illnesses.

 

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Going in chronological order from 1956 to 2020, we present the best-selling album from the year you graduated high school.

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