Hamilton County Schools will close all campuses without instruction Tuesday and Wednesday of next week – extending the long Labor Day weekend – to reduce COVID-19 spread, according to a message from the district Wednesday afternoon.
The district will use two stockpile days, typically reserved for inclement weather, and asks families to have students tested before returning to school on Thursday if they suspect they have been exposed to COVID-19 or show symptoms.
In a video message, interim Superintendent Nakia Towns said community spread of the coronavirus has trended upward and strained the district’s resources.
“Our schools are a part of this community, and so we are not immune from this spread. The current case levels have created an unsustainable demand on our district resources for contact tracing, quarantining and testing,” Towns said in the video.
The announcement comes three weeks into the school year and was unexpected for some parents in the district who do not or cannot work from home.