[ March 20, 2020 ] On the 20th of March, Mountain Education Charter High School was notified that an employee at the Pickens Site was diagnosed with coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19. The employee felt ill beginning on March 7th, but symptoms improved and the employee reported to work on March 9th.

It is important to note, MECHS cannot legally disclose the employee's health condition. However, the school district is in the process of providing the Department of Health with a list of students and staff members that the employee may have had contact with so that a follow up with health department staff can occur.

On Monday, March 16th, all MECHS sites were closed and all students began online learning. Under guidance from Governor Kemp, MECHS will keep all sites closed until further notice. This allows for the cleaning and disinfecting of all schools as well as for district officials to conduct a risk assessment for the entire school system.

Decisions about the length of the closing and next steps will be announced as they are made. The district will continue to post updates on its COVID-19 website at www.mymec.org under the Students and Parents tab. Additional information will be communicated with families and employees as it becomes available via Remind messaging. Meanwhile, MECHS asks that all stakeholders ? students, employees, parents, and community members ? follow COVID-19 guidance as emphasized by local, state, and national health care providers.

Respectfully,

Dr. Wayne Lovell