Dearborn elementary school closed after staffer was exposed to coronavirus patient
Dearborn Public Schools has announced Whitmore-Bolles Elementary school is being closed as a precaution after a staff member was exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Parents say they were notified after school today that Whitmore Bolles elementary school will be closed Thursday. The district expects to have results on the staff member as soon as Thursday night.
A cleaning crew was in their earlier and will be back tomorrow as they await test results of a staff member who came into close contact with someone who had the coronavirus.
With three kids at Whitmore-Boles Elementary School in Dearborn, Raymond Badejo has been dreading this day.
"I've been expecting it because it's been going around," he said.
But his kids will not have school Thursday and he says it’s for good reason.
"We just try as much as possible to keep ourselves safe," he said.
The Dearborn superintendent made it known during a Wednesday evening news conference.
"This staff member was in contact with a person with a confirmed case," said Dr. Glenn Maleyko. "This staff member only works at Whitmore Bolles Elementary."
He says the school will close for one day, thoroughly cleaned by custodians and an outside company out of "an abundance of caution."
As for the worst case scenario: "If someone is positive then Wayne County and the health officials come in and make determinations for exposure levels and other things. That's when we will be taking the direction from them."
The school board, and many others are standing by this course of action.
"As a father and grandfather in the district, I am extremely confident that the decision made today was the right decision," said Dearborn School Board President Hussein Berry. "I can sleep good tonight."
Now that the virus is in Michigan a lot of people are watching closely as to what happens next. Just like teacher Inaya Soufanshebab who works at a different school with a son attending Dearborn High School.
"My son is going to go school and he is going to continue with his normal routine," she said. "I'm going to school. I'm not going to skip."
"Parents always have a right to make a decision in the best interest for their family and their child," said Maleyko. "But right now we have no information that we have any other risks in Dearborn Public Schools at this time."
The district in Dearborn plans to take a day by day approach. They are considering all options including online learning.
Families in West Bloomfield received letters saying school will be cancelled on Friday so teachers can go through training using Google Classroom.