Carroll County-area private schools are following the state’s recommendation to close.
State officials announced Thursday that Maryland public schools would be closed from March 16 through March 30 in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Larry Hogan urged private schools to do the same and Carroll County private schools are following suit.
· North Carroll Community School in Westminster is closing for two weeks, including all extracurricular activities, said Administrator Alex Will. Friday, March 13 was a professional day for employees so students were not in classes.
· Gerstell Academy President John Polasko issued a statement Thursday that school would close starting that evening at 7 p.m. and remain closed until at least Monday, March 30. The closure applies to all after-school activities inducing athletic practices and competitions. Plans for virtual learning will begin March 25, and the school asked families to be aware that they may have to extend the closure beyond March 30. Division heads sent families specific messages regarding learning plans.
· Carroll Christian School in Westminster will close for two weeks, Principal Matthew A. Reisberg said. The school will evaluate whether to reopen after two weeks.
· Springdale Preparatory School in New Windsor will be closing for at least two weeks and there will be no after-school activities including athletics beginning Friday, Director of Special Operations Neal Roop said. The school will begin online learning March 18. Students who board on campus were sent home because the school made the decision it is best for them to be with their families.
· Mount Airy Christian Academy will be remote teaching beginning Monday, March 16 because the school has more than 250 people, an administrative assistant for the church said. After-school activities, field trips and a planned mission trip to Costa Rica have been canceled.
· The Montessori School of Westminster will close for the next two weeks, including after-school activities. They planned to send home materials with children Friday.
· The Ava Wanas Montessori School in Sykesville had not yet announced a decision as of 11:30 a.m. Friday.
The first Carroll County case of the coronavirus was announced Friday afternoon.
A spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan said earlier Friday that the total number of confirmed cases in the state had risen to 17. That did not include the Carroll case.
As of Friday afternoon, the coronavirus had resulted in 33 deaths in the United States out of more than 1,200 people who have tested positive for the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The World Health Organization deemed the coronavirus a pandemic Wednesday.
Anyone who thinks they or a family member might be showing coronavirus symptoms can call the health department’s COVID-19 hotline, which is available 8 am. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 410-876-4848, or contact their doctor.