ABILENE -- Abilene USD 435 today announced that the district is switching to remote learning for all students beginning Tuesday due to COVID-19 concerns.
In a notice to parents/guardians, USD 435 Superintendent Greg Brown wrote, "Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do. We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly. We have four (4) adults who have already tested positive and (4) more not feeling well, who are being tested as I speak. The combination of adults who have tested positive and the related quarantine orders have made it necessary to take this measure. We hope to be back in school on Monday, October 5th. During the next two weeks, we will be looking at other measures to provide the face to face instruction we know our community desires in spite of the increased COVID-19 testing results."
Additionally, all extra-curricular activities, including practices and competitions, have been suspended until at least Oct. 5, according to a notice to parents/guardians from Abilene High School Athletic Director Will Burton and Abilene Middle School Athletic Director Derek Berns.
"Again, this decision was not made lightly and has been made because of the number of adults in our system who have been affected by Coronavirus. One of our primary goals for taking care of your children is keeping them safe, while we are providing a world-class educational experience. We simply are not able to do this with face to face instruction at this time," Brown reiterated.