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A school district in Texas temporarily closed down after two teachers died of COVID-19 last week. Officials with the Connally Independent School District said that classes at all five schools will be suspended until September 7.
Seventh-grade social studies teacher David McCormick, 59, died on August 24. He was last on campus on August 18. On Saturday (August 28), officials learned that Natalia Chansler, 41, a sixth-grade social studies teacher, had also died of COVID. Her last day at school was on August 25. Both teachers worked at Connally Junior High School. It is unknown if either teacher was vaccinated.
"We are very heartbroken," Assistant Superintendent Jill Bottelberghe said. "This is the second staff member that we have lost in a matter of a week due to COVID. It is very devastating as far as the students, the staff, and the community as a whole."
Officials said there have been at least 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the school since classes resumed on August 18. They have not determined if either teacher was responsible for spreading the virus to others in the school.
"We have not found any correlation" between the two deaths, Bottelberghe said. "They were at two different grade levels even though they worked under the same content area, but we have recognized that there has been an increase in spread as far as throughout our student body at those two grade levels."
While the two teachers worked at the same school, officials decided it was best to close down all the schools in this district so that the buildings can be deep cleaned.
Superintendent Wesley Holt sent an email to parents saying he hopes "that the closure and holiday break will provide those who are positive with the virus or exposed to others with the virus, the time to isolate and recover. This closure will also allow time for deep cleaning and sanitizing of all CISD facilities."