Lake Worth High School reopens after coach tested positive for COVID-19

LAKE WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County high school closed because of a positive coronavirus case for the second time in 10 days.

Lake Worth High School says one of its coaches tested positive this week, activating immediate sanitizing and contact tracing.

“They were on campus. It happened to be a day when there was not very much interaction with anyone other than a small circle of people. So it was very easy to determine, it took several interviews,” said Lake Worth ISD Superintendent Dr. Rose Neshyba.

Neshyba says the district reacted swiftly and confirmed one other person who had contact with the infected person is self-isolating.

“This latest situation was an adult who was pretty much in isolation but we are going to err on the side of caution. We’ve been working on these processes all summer. We had an incident before professional development ever started with an adult who tested positive,” Neshyba said.

Neshyba is referring to a previous shutdown at the high school August 15 before the fall semester began.

The district also ordered Miller Elementary School closed for deep cleaning in early august when a positive case of the virus was discovered there.

The reopening Thursday afternoon came after a 24-hour shut down for deep cleaning. Student athletes had temperature screenings before entering Lake Worth High School’s athletic complex.

Forty percent of Lake Worth ISD students are attending classes on campus after presenting its families with the choice of in-person or virtual learning.

“I think we expected to have these issues as we move forward so I think we’re prepared for it. Do we like it? We don’t, but we’re going to err on the side of caution,” Neshyba said.