Per local outlets reports, Superintendent Terry Zink contracted the potentially-fatal disease on Wednesday (August 19), after trying to “meet all the students” at the school the day before.
What’s more, per a letter encouraging parents to pick up their children from school, Zink was said to have been in every classroom before learning he’d come down with the novel virus. The school officially closed Thursday (August 20) to begin a school-wide deep cleaning.
“He has a cough. He’s running a fever. He feels really bad that he had to be the first,” said Coyle High School Principal Shane Weathers, who received the call from Zink confirming his diagnosis.
Students had only been back in classes for a little over a week before being sent home before school was over on Wednesday.
Some Coyle parents are finding it difficult to adjust to the abrupt switch to virtual learning.
“I’m more frustrated than anything,” expressed one parent, Brianna Dufrain, whose concerns for her daughter stems from having no access to WiFi, a laptop, or a tablet. “I don’t even know how we’re gonna do it. There’s really no way for a lot of parents to do it at all.”
This will be the new normal for Coyle students beginning on August 24, with students expected to be welcomed back for in-person learning on August 31. However, the latter date is subject to change.
“If we feel that it’s not safe by Aug. 31, we could extend it,” said Weathers.