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Harmony Middle School closed for 2 weeks due to COVID-19
Harmony Middle School in Osceola County has been closed due to COVID-19. Students have been sent back home after just five days of in-person learning. Twelve staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus and now students will resume virtual learning for two weeks.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Officials in Osceola County say Harmony Middle School will close for two weeks, forcing all face-to-face students and teachers to move to digital learning.
The school district said that the coronavirus pandemic "has impacted multiple staff members" at the school during the past week.
Osceola County Schools Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace later confirmed with FOX 35 News that four staff members let the district know last weekend that they had tested positive for COVID-19. The other eight cases popped up since school started. In all, 11 are instructional staff -- which could be teachers, a librarian or coach -- and one is a teacher’s assistant.
“We had a plan in place always so that if we needed to transition to digital we could do so. We had hoped not to have to put it into action right away. I’m very pleased with the way the plan has worked. It has not been easy today,” said Dr. Pace.
The move to digital learning will begin on Monday, August 31, and continue for the next two weeks. All 595 students who have been coming to campus for face-to-face learning will be learning virtually from home until September 14.
Dr. Pace does not believe any of the staff who has the coronavirus has passed it on to any students.
"Eight of them were not close to students at all. We did have four, however, who have provided some level of instruction since the beginning of the week. Those students continue to be contacted individually. We are working on contract tracing in partnership with the Department of Health," Dr. Pace said.
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Parents are asked to go to the Osceola County Public Schools website and sign up for WiFi or a device if they need it while their child is doing distance learning for the next two weeks. If students or staff from Harmony Middle School want to get tested for COVID-19 they can do so at the school on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
All students and staff already participating in digital learning are not being affected.
For more information, visit Harmony Middle School's website.