MARS HILL, Maine — Students at Fort Street Elementary School and Central Aroostook High School in Mars Hill didn’t attend in-person classes on Monday but will come back to school on Tuesday after a COVID-19 scare in the district.
It is the second time this month that SAD 42 schools have closed to in-person learning — a COVID-19 scare in early November had sent students into remote learning for a few days, though the district said all tests related to the scare had come back negative. It also comes amid rising COVID-19 cases and resulting school closings across Aroostook County.
The announcement was posted to the district’s Facebook page at around 7 p.m. on Sunday. The schools will be closed to students on Monday and students will learn remotely on Tuesday. District officials said they would also publicize plans for the rest of the week on Tuesday.
The number of people connected to the school who were potentially exposed to the virus was unclear, or whether it was a student, staff member or visitor who was exposed.
As COVID-19 cases rise across Aroostook County, several school districts have temporarily gone remote: over the weekend, three southern Aroostook districts announced they would spend time in remote learning after positive COVID-19 cases from people connected to the schools.
Nearby SAD 45 based in Washburn is remote until Wednesday after someone associated with the school was identified as having a probable case of COVID-19. The Easton School Department resumed classes on Monday after a COVID-19 scare left them remote for a few days.
While SAD 1 has had a student and a spouse of a district employee test positive for COVID-19, it has continued in-person classes throughout the semester.
The closing comes as Aroostook County sees a record number of coronavirus cases: there are 40 active cases in The County, according to Maine Center for Disease Control data. Cases have significantly escalated in Aroostook County in recent weeks, with total cases going from 95 on Nov. 22 to 138 as of Nov. 29.
As cases rise across Maine, Aroostook County continues to have the lowest rate in the state. Yet, the rise in casings and resulting closings in schools and restaurants has been jarring for a region that has been shielded from the worst of the virus.
