San Antonio: Pre-K 4 SA Closes East Education Center Following Coronavirus Cases All Staff Were Tested Today; Students To Be Tested Tomorrow

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

October 25, 2020

SAN ANTONIO — Four staff members and one child who were at Pre-K 4 SA’s East Education Center last week have tested positive for COVID-19.

Immediately after receiving notification of the confirmed cases, Pre-K 4 SA implemented the following response protocols:
• conducted contact tracing;
• identified children and staff needing to quarantine; and
• cleaned and disinfected the building.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the Pre-K 4 SA East Education center and transitioning all classes to remote learning effective Monday October 26th,” said Pre-K 4 SA CEO Dr. Sarah Baray.

All East Education Center staff were tested today, with results expected to be returned by tomorrow. All children who were in classrooms with a staff member who has tested positive will be tested tomorrow. In addition, Pre-K 4 SA asked Metro Health to review current protocols at all of its education centers to ensure that all possible prevention measures are being taken.

Consistent with Pre-K 4 SA’s COVID-19 protocols, the East Education Center has been cleaned and disinfected by the Pre-K 4 SA Custodial Team, which is trained to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Pre-K 4 SA’s daily cleaning and sanitation protocols meet the CDC guidelines for disinfecting a building after a confirmed case of COVID-19. The East Center will again be deep-cleaned and disinfected while the center is closed.

Also consistent with protocols, Pre-K 4 SA has notified all employees and families of the confirmed positive cases. Pre-K 4 SA officials are working closely with Metro Health to determine when it is safe for children and staff to return for on-site learning.

Pre-K 4 SA anticipates receiving staff test results tomorrow and children’s test results Tuesday and will determine next steps based on that information.

About Pre-K 4 SA:

Pre-K 4 SA is a comprehensive early childhood initiative aimed at changing the education and workforce trajectory of San Antonio in one generation. Pre-K 4 SA offers full-day pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds living in the City of San Antonio. Pre-K 4 SA is free for qualifying students and also accepts tuition-paying students. The school day begins at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Extended hours are available at no additional charge from 7:15 to 8 a.m., and from 3 to 6 p.m. for working families. Breakfast, lunch and two snacks are included and free transportation is available to all students. Pre-K 4 SA has four Education Centers located throughout the city: North Education Center, 3635 Medical Dr.; South Education Center, 7031 S. New Braunfels Ave.; East Education Center, 5230 Eisenhauer Rd.; and West Education Center, 1235 Enrique M. Barrera Memorial Parkway. The Gardendale Early Learning Program powered by Pre-K 4 SA is the first replication site and was made possible through a partnership with Edgewood Independent School District. This program creates greater capacity for high-quality early education with both pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. The Pre-K 4 SA Professional Learning program provides pre-kindergarten through third grade educators in San Antonio with complementary continuing education to support best practice instruction to help every child in San Antonio excel. The Pre-K 4 SA Competitive Grants program provides more than $4 million in funding annually to increase quality and access in early childhood programs throughout San Antonio. Visit www.prek4sa.com for more information.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.