Several Brentwood SD Employees Reported Having Corornavirus

BRENTWOOD, NY — The Brentwood School District announced on Thursday that several staff members self-reported testing positive for the coronavirus. The employees worked in the Freshmen Center and Hemlock Park Elementary School, according to a letter from Superintendent Richard Loeschner. The letter states that the Suffolk County Department of Health is no longer notifying districts of any positive cases.

All schools in the district have been closed to students since Friday, March 13. On March 15, County Executive Steve Bellone announced that all schools in Suffolk will be shut down for two weeks due to the coronavirus.

"I know it is difficult, but it is important that we stay inside as much as possible and limit our exposure to other people," Loeschner wrote.

According to the letter, despite the school shut down several, staff members, because of their function in the district, that have been at work almost every day since our initial closure. Food service workers, custodians, security guards, clericals and many administrators have continued to go to work to help deliver breakfast and lunch to the community as well as provide childcare to some. Some teachers have also stopped by the buildings to pick up and drop off work.

"We have been charged by the Governor to continue to make available breakfast and lunch to the community, deliver distance learning to our students and even provide childcare to the children of first responders," Loeschner wrote. "These tasks unfortunately require many staff members to be physically present in the buildings."