MEXICO, Maine — Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico announced Monday that it's closing out of an abundance of caution after receiving a report of a positive COVID-19. The school will be closed for the mandatory 72 hours for cleaning.
The school, which is a member of Maine's network of career and technical education (CTE) schools, says any student and staff member who may have had close contact with the student who tested positive will now be quarantined for 14 days. The school says affected families will be contacted individually.
Being a tech school, students from other schools are sent to the tech school in two different programs: the A Day program and the B Day program. Students are sent to the tech school from four different schools across Maine: Dirigo High School in Dixfield, Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Telstar High School in Bethel, and Buckfield High School in Buckfield.
This year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in each program were divided up into smaller groups within their program. The school says there are now five "camps" in each program. B Day students began on Wednesday, Sept. 9, while the A group started the following day.
Region 9 Director Superintendent Brenda Gammon says all of the students who were in the "camp" with the positive student are now quarantining for 14 days and that all associated schools have been notified so they can implement proper precautions at their schools as well. Gammon says all four schools are impacted by the positive case.
The students who are under quarantine will be learning remotely until the 14-day time period is over.
On Thursday, the school says B students will be welcomed back to school and A students will be back on Friday.
