On Monday, March 2, 2020, Highline Public Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield released a statement about how the district is dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus.

No known cases of the virus have been detected, nor any Highline schools closed yet, and the district says it’s taking extra precautions.

“We are taking extra precautions to limit the spread of germs by disinfecting school buses after each route and cafeterias between lunches,” Enfield said. “School custodians have been instructed to wipe down commonly touched surfaces multiple times each day with disinfectant.”

Dear Highline Families,

As Coronavirus continues to affect our region, I want to reassure you that the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. I want to share how Highline Public Schools is responding to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, keep students and staff safe and healthy, and minimize the impact on student learning.

First and foremost, all our actions are guided by the local, state and federal health authorities who are the experts in keeping our communities safe from public health threats. We continue to monitor this guidance daily, as it is likely to change as this situation develops locally and across the globe. We shared their current guidance with staff, students and families on Friday and we will continue to keep you informed.

We are taking extra precautions to limit the spread of germs by disinfecting school buses after each route and cafeterias between lunches. School custodians have been instructed to wipe down commonly touched surfaces multiple times each day with disinfectant.

We are developing contingency plans so we are ready to respond if widespread illness causes greater impacts, such as school closures. I am hopeful that we will not have to operationalize these plans, but it is critical to be prepared.

Please review Frequently Asked Questions on our website. We will continue to update information online as it becomes available.

It is important to remember that nationality and ethnicity are not indicators of who may or may not be likely to be at risk. Misinformed assumptions only harm others and take the focus off best practices for preventing illness.

It is natural to feel apprehensive when facing a challenge like this one. The best thing for that is to be well informed and stay calm. Below are some resources to help you do that. Thank you for working with us to keep our students and families healthy.

– Susan