SCARBOROUGH — Scarborough Public Schools will be closed until April 27, said Superintendent Sanford Prince on March 20.
The difficult decision was made as a way to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further, he said, and the school administration is following updates from the Centers for Disease and Prevention and Gov. Janet Mills.
As of Sunday, March 22, there were 89 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Maine, according the Maine’s CDC website, 53 of which are in Cumberland County.
On March 19, Prince announced that an adult at Eight Corners School had also tested positive for the coronavirus.
“The person’s contact was specific to one classroom, and all families within that classroom were contacted late yesterday afternoon,” he said. “Although we strongly believe that during the time the person was in the classroom, appropriate protective measures were being taken, it is important to let you know this has occurred.”
Prince encouraged anyone experiencing symptoms to contact a health care provider
Scarborough Public Schools is doing everything it can to keep parents, students, and staff updated, he said.
“In the past week, we have collaborated with district leaders and educators to further develop contingency plans for the continuation of student learning,” said Prince on March 20. “Our thoughtful, prudent approach has included strategically planning our shift to remote education. Scarborough Public Schools recognizes that distance learning does not replace the classroom experiences in which students engage each day, and the challenges to meet the needs of all students will be many. Still — we are of the firm belief that it is vital to keep students connected to schools, to continue their learning, and to engage them with one another and with the adults in our schools as best we can daily.”
Students began remote learning on March 23, using either school-provided or personal computers to complete classwork.
In addition, Prince said, “our commitment to providing food for students is ongoing and in partnership with Project Grace, the Scarborough and South Portland Food Pantries, and Full Plates, Full Potential. Please email food@scarboroughschools.org or call 730-4700 if you need support. Deliveries will continue on a regular basis.”
Note: According to Spectrum’s website, due to the coronavirus, beginning Monday, March 16, the company is offering two free months of internet and WiFi services to new customers in households with Pre-K to 12 or college students who need remote education. This discount will be applied as a credit for your first two months of internet services. We’ll waive any installation or pre-payment fees to help get you started. Qualifications include having a student of qualifying age at your service address with remote education needs and not having not subscribed to Spectrum’s internet services within the past 30 days. To sign up, call 1-855-243-8892.
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