Brownwood News – Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19:
Bangs, Blanket, Brookesmith, Brownwood, Coleman, Early, May, Panther Creek, Santa Anna ISD, and Zephyr ISDs announce emergency closures and will extend the suspension of normal district operations through at least Friday, April 3rd to support our nation’s need to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19.
Suspending operations for this length of time will allow us to determine, in coordination with local health officials, whether the virus has community spread or whether it has been contained. We are coordinating together the week of April 3rd to make any decisions on whether there is a need to extend the closure of campuses.
During this time, districts will switch to off-campus instruction for students, and employees will work remotely to support our students and parents following plans created this week by our staff members. Beginning tomorrow, March 19th, no employees should report to districts unless contacted by their supervisors. Districts will continue to provide breakfast and lunch to students throughout this shift, according to each district’s plan.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined the need for all communities to implement a social distancing protocol. We want to reiterate a request to our broader community to take the following reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of the illness:
- Don’t shake hands.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Limit movement within the community, especially avoiding crowded places and maintaining 3 to 6 ft of distance between people (at least an arm’s length).
- If you are moving around in the community, don’t congregate in large groups.
- For those who have traveled to areas with known COVID-19 cases – both inside and outside of the country – we ask that you contact your local health department and self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms based on their recommendations.
- If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider for medical advice.
- Keep your child at home if he/she feels ill, even if you think it is just a cold.
- Do not leave the house if you are ill, except to access medical care.
This situation is quickly changing, and we will continue to monitor information, will assess conditions throughout the week, and will provide updates via our district websites and email. Thank you for your patience, support, and cooperation as we work through these challenging times.
Bangs ISD – Tony Truelove
Blanket ISD – David Whisenhunt
Brookesmith ISD – Steve Mickelson
Brownwood ISD – Joe Young
Coleman ISD – Brandon McDowell
Early ISD – Wes Beck
May ISD – Steve Howard
Panther Creek – Dwin Nanny
Santa Anna ISD – David Robinett
Zephyr ISD – Stanton Marwitz