Cape, Jackson public schools extend closures due to COVID-19

The public school districts in Cape Girardeau and Jackson have announced schools will remain closed until May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both districts had planned to reopen their classrooms next week — Cape Girardeau on Tuesday and Jackson on Wednesday. However, Gov. Mike Parson’s “stay at home” order runs through April 24, which would have made reopening the schools next week problematic.

“Our tentative return date is now set for Friday, May 1,” according to an email sent to families in the Cape Girardeau district Tuesday morning. “We will continue to make week-by-week decisions on extending the closure based on the latest health information and guidelines that are provided to us from our local and state officials.”

Schools in Jackson will tentatively reopen a few days later. In a letter sent to families in the Jackson district Tuesday afternoon, superintendent John Link said the district hopes to reopen schools May 4 and that the district’s leadership team will reevaluate the situation weekly.

“We will update families as often as possible,” Link said.

According to a message posted on the Jackson High School Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, the school’s prom, scheduled for May 2, has also been postponed.

Until schools reopen, both districts are offering food distribution services to students.

In Jackson, the food distribution takes place weekly at each of the district’s schools. Pickup days and time are being communicated to district families by school principals and are also posted on the district’s Facebook page.

Cape Girardeau schools had been providing “to go” meals at each of the district’s elementary schools every weekday, but moving forward, the meals will only be available Mondays through Thursdays, with “double meals” provided Thursdays. Serving times at the Cape Girardeau elementary schools, 10 a.m. until noon, remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, “distance learning” is continuing in both districts.

The Scott City School District is scheduled to remain closed through April 24 and reopen April 27, shortly after the state’s “stay at home” order expires, but that date could be revised, according to district superintendent Michael Umfleet.

“Reopening on the 27th is our plan, but it’s subject to change,” he told the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday.

As of now, Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau is also scheduled to reopen April 27. However, principal Tim Garner said he will be in communication with other school districts and the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese between now and then to determine whether the closure should be extended.

Garner said he was in touch with Notre Dame’s former principal, Brother David Migliorino, now principal of a Catholic high school on Long Island, New York, who reported several of the school’s faculty members and student families have been directly impacted by coronavirus.

Local COVID-19 information is available at www.keepcapestrong.com.