ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Starting Friday, the Bonsack Elementary School will be closed until Sept. 1 due to coronavirus cases among students and staff.
According to a release sent out to families on Thursday afternoon, all students and staff will transition to remote learning while the Virginia Dept. of Health looks into the spread of COVID-19 within the school community.
Recommended Videos
Officials said all students will be issued a laptop for at-home use.
[To see a full list of COVID cases in schools, click here]
The school is set to reopen on Sept. 1 for in-person instruction, pending approval from the health department.
Parents are able to pick up three days of breakfast and lunch from 9:30 to 10 a.m. on Friday, according to officials. An additional meal pick up time be on Sept. 1 from 9:30 to 10 a.m. if needed. Meals are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Below is the full statement:
At the direction of the Virginia Department of Health, Bonsack Elementary School will be closed, beginning Friday, August 27, due to multiple cases of COVID-19 and symptomatic students and staff at the school. Bonsack Elementary will remain closed through August 31.
All students and staff will transition to remote learning while the VDH assesses the extent of potential transmission of COVID-19 within the school community. All students will be issued a laptop for at-home use. Parents or students needing technical support may email bontechsupport@rcps.us.
Bonsack Elementary is scheduled to reopen for in-person instruction on September 1, pending clearance from the health department.
“We have been prepared for this possibility,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. “We are very empathetic to the hardship that quarantining and temporary closures cause for students, families, and staff and we are here to offer support. We are grateful to have resources in place to continue with the process of teaching and learning, regardless if that instruction is remote or in person, and will work with the health department to re-open the school as soon as possible,” Dr. Nicely said.
Parents may pick up three days of meals (breakfast and lunch) from 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Friday, August 27. Meals should be refrigerated promptly after pick-up. If needed, an additional meal pick up time will be on Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. We request parents call the Bonsack nutrition manager at 540-562-3900 extension 42040 to sign up for meals. This is not required but does help the school determine the number of meals to prepare. Meals are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Roanoke County Public Schools reminds parents to review the daily health checklist and strongly urges parents to keep children home if they display any symptoms as noted in the checklist. For the latest information on COVID-19 cases in the schools, please see the COVID Dashboard.