Mansfield schools closing through Jan. 18 amid spike in COVID cases
All schools and buildings in the Mansfield school district will be closed from Jan. 14 to Jan. 18 after the district said 750 students and 195 staff were confirmed to have active COVID-19 cases, according to a news release.
Students will not be required to log on for virtual instruction or make up the time missed because extra days are already built into the academic calendar. Monday was already scheduled to be a school holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
While campuses will be closed for five days, a period the district said was an intentional measure to allow employees with COVID to recover and minimize the possibility of more community spread, all high school UIL sports activities will continue as scheduled.
Custodial staff will implement the district’s COVID-19 deep-cleaning protocols during the break.
The district earlier this week closed six schools, citing COVID-related absences and a shortage of qualified, uninfected substitute teachers. The six schools were Janet Brockett, Louise Cabaniss, Judy Miller, Martha Reid, Tarver Rendon and Roberta Tipps.
School lunches can be picked up on Tuesday, Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon at Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary School, Della Icenhower Intermediate School and Danny Jones Middle School. Students do not have to be present for the pickups, but a parent or guardian will be required to show a Mansfield schools student ID or provide a student’s Skyward information.
Meals will not be provided Friday through Monday.
The district asks parents or guardians of students who have become symptomatic to contact their physician and notify the Mansfield schools health services of any lab-confirmed cases at 817-299-6375.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 5:49 PM.