COVID-19 outbreaks force more North Texas schools to close

Only weeks and in some cases just days into the new school year, some campuses are closing because of COVID-19 outbreaks.

DALLAS - Many schools hope things would get back to normal this year but it’s not working out as planned. Some are closing for a COVID-19 time out.

Meadow Creek Elementary School in HEB ISD

COVID-19 is forcing third graders at Meadow Creek Elementary School in the Hurst Euless Bedford ISD to attend class virtually starting Friday.

The school sent a note home to families alerting them to the high number of positive COVID-19 cases in the third grade. Virtual learning will continue until next Friday.

The online classes do not affect students in the Functional Academics and Community Integration program.

Venus ISD

Classes are canceled all next week for students in Venus ISD, in Johnson County.

The district said it has been experiencing an unusually low attendance rate because of positive COVID-19 cases and the virus has made it difficult to staff the schools at every level.

Venus ISD plans to disinfect its campuses before students return on Sept. 2.

Trivium Academy in Carrollton

Trivium Academy, a charter school in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, is the latest of several closing because of an outbreak in cases.

The school pulls students from nine districts in North Texas and serves kindergarten through 11th graders.

Administrators said the number of absences began rising last week. More than 100 of the school’s 500 students were absent this week and about 12% of the school’s teachers were out Wednesday.

They decided a closure was the safest route.

The campus will shut down on Friday and reopen the Tuesday after Labor Day.

Boyd Elementary School

Boyd ISD, northwest of Fort Worth, is also closing its elementary school for the rest of the week because of COVID-19.

The district said with an increase in cases, attendance is too low to effectively teach.

The school will be deep cleaned before students return on Monday.

Kemp ISD

And all of Kemp ISD in Kaufman County is closed this week because of a spike in cases there as well. Classes at the schools there resume on Monday.

All of the schools that have closed do not have mask mandates.