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All Houston County Schools Closed Until April 3

Special to The Messenger

GRAPELAND ISD PRESS RELEASE

Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, Grapeland ISD will extend the suspension of normal district operations through Friday, April 3 in an effort to support our nation’s need to slow the spread of the novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Our health officials report that cases are continuing to spread in the state and an increase in confirmed cases in our county seems likely. Suspending operations for this length of time will allow us to determine, in coordination with local health officials, whether the virus is continuing to have community spread or whether it has been contained. We are coordinating with other school districts in the county and will use the week of March 30 to make any decisions on whether there is a need to extend the suspension further.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined the need for all communities to implement a social distancing protocol. We want to reiterate 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 feet of distance between people.  
  • 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 self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms. Students who have raveled should plan to stay home for two-weeks after arriving home. Please contact your campus to let them know and this will be considered an excused absence.
  • Keep your children 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 is a quickly changing situation and we will continue to monitor information, will assess conditions throughout this week and will provide the next update by April 1, via our call out system and Facebook.

Thank you for your support and cooperation as we ensure that all members of the community in Grapeland stay safe and healthy.

Don Jackson

GISD Superintendent     

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