Woodstock High School Closed Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

WOODSTOCK, GA — During the second week of school, another Cherokee County high school has closed its doors and switched to online learning through the end of the month due to coronavirus outbreaks.

The district said it is temporarily closing in-person learning at Woodstock High School effective at the end of classes Wednesday, with the reopening tentatively scheduled for Aug. 31. This decision was made with the support of school board members and in consideration with the Department of Public Health.

As of Wednesday morning, the number of positive cases at the school had increased to 14 with tests for another 15 students pending. As a result of the confirmed cases, 289 students and staff are under quarantine and, should the pending tests prove positive, the total would significantly increase, the district said in a news release.

All Woodstock High School in-person students will stay home from school until the scheduled reopening on Aug. 31. Teachers will spend Thursday preparing for the shift to remote learning, and the building will be deep-cleaned. Remote learning, through the Canvas learning management system, will begin on Friday, with teachers reporting to school to provide this online instruction.

The closure has no effect on Woodstock High students already enrolled in digital learning. The closure also has no effect on the neighboring Woodstock Middle School, where no positive cases have been reported, the district said.

Students who need to pick up medication or other items that they must have during the next two weeks should call the school’s front office to make an appointment. Extra-curricular athletic activities will continue after school. This exception is due to the very limited size of these groups and additional safety measures in place (such as temporal scans), but continuation of athletics will be closely monitored for possible closure, Cherokee School said.

"The closing of Etowah High on Tuesday followed by the closing on Woodstock High Wednesday are necessary precautions as we work to continue in-person learning in our other 38 schools and centers," Superintendent Brian Hightower said in a statement. "We anticipate, as we have communicated throughout this process, there will be additional quarantines and school closures as we operate during this pandemic. We need our entire community to work together: stay home when you’re sick; get tested if you’re symptomatic; report your child’s positive test to their school; if you are directed to quarantine, follow the instructions and limit interaction with non-family members; social distance when you can and wear a mask when you can’t."

On Tuesday, Hightower said, "the number of positive cases at Etowah High School had increased to a total of 14, with tests for another 15 students pending; and, as a result of the confirmed cases, 294 students and staff are under quarantine and, should the pending tests prove positive, that total would increase dramatically."

When the district announced plans to reopen schools with options of in-person learning and digital learning at home, Hightower said it made clear the challenges that came along with this choice for families.

"With a commitment from 77 percent of our students' families to return to school in-person, we opened our doors on Aug. 3 and welcomed more than 30,000 students back for learning, reconnecting with teachers and staff and friends, and a sense of normalcy absent for five long months," he said.

Since Cherokee Schools reopened, and as of Tuesday morning, there have been 59 positive coronavirus tests confirmed among district students and staff, which have led it to mandate two-week quarantines for 925 students and staff.

"We are not hesitating to quarantine students and staff who have had possible exposure — even if the positive test was prompted by possible exposure rather than symptoms, as all positive cases can lead to the infection of others," Hightower said. "Our transparency to our community is far beyond any requirements by the Department of Public Health, but we believe our community benefits from our longstanding commitment to transparency. We don't need social media to tell us to be transparent — it's who we are because we care about our community."

Related: Etowah High School Closing Immediately From Coronavirus Outbreak