Orange County Public Schools is closing the Olympia High School campus for two weeks because of a cluster of coronavirus cases. OCPS said 922 face to face students will be shifted to online classes from Tuesday Sept. 8th until Friday September 18th.
The school district said 156 students and staff have had direct contact with six individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. The Florida Department of Health said the cases are a result of community spread but not spread at the school.
Students who have been on campus since the beginning of the semester will switch to LaunchED@Home for two weeks, while extra-curricular activities and co-curricular activities are cancelled. The campus will be cleaned and disinfected and the DOH will offer free drive-through testing in the school parking lot for students and staff members. The 922 students and 190 staff will return to campus Monday September 21st.
Total enrollment last year at Olympia High was 3,275, although enrollments are down across the district this school year.
As of last Tuesday OCPS had reported 54 cases in 34 schools and 4 work locations. On Friday they added 18 cases at 16 schools - including Olympia.
The DOH has sent out 373 quarantine letters to individuals at schools around the district. Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said the school district is working on a website to provide updates on coronavirus cases.