Glades County to close all schools for in-person learning until Feb. 1 due to COVID-19 cases

Glades County school Superintendent Dr. Beth Barfield said schools will close for in-person learning due to COVID-19 cases.

Barfield said the entire school district, which is three schools, will be closed until Feb. 1.

Glades County is a small district with about 1,600 students. Due to the size of the schools and difficulty in finding substitute teachers, remote learning will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

They have several cases of COVID-19 and exposures between students and staff at all of the schools.

The Glades County School District was notified on Monday that cases had risen substantially over the last five days causing students and teachers to be sent home as either a positive case or a direct contact, Barfield wrote in a letter to parents.

She asked parents to continue social distancing and adhere to safety measures.

“Currently we have a little over 1,500 students in the Glades County School District, and when making this decision, I thought about each and every one of them and their families,” Barfield said. “It was a difficult decision, but one that I made out of concern and caution for the well being of our students and staff.”

Barfield said the desire is to continue in-person learning, but the numbers don’t support that style.

“We must be proactive and be prepared during these ever-changing times to continue educating our students if and when circumstances change, as predicted, throughout the year related to the health and safety of our students and employees,” she wrote.

The school district will post meal distribution schedules at a later time, she said.