Parents concerned after coronavirus forces Clinton school to close for 2 weeks

Butler Avenue Elementary School in Clinton, for example, will be closed for the rest of the week after infections were reported there.

All five schools in the Clinton City Schools district have been in in-person learning since Aug. 17. The district reports 12 students and 14 staff members with active coronavirus infections, but officials won't say how many are at Butler Avenue Elementary.

“Parents like me are very unaware, and it’s going to end up having my youngest sick or worse,” said Alanna Strouth, whose 7-year-old daughter attends Butler Avenue Elementary.

Strouth said she took her daughter to school on Monday morning before finding out about positive cases at the school by word of mouth.

"Instead of them trying to give us a call or something or tell us over the phone or a piece of paper, they put it on the website and an app," she said. "I don’t have internet I don’t even have a phone. I have to use Wi-Fi.”

A school district spokesman said the decision to close Butler Avenue Elementary was out of an abundance of caution and to address staffing needs.

Strouth said the decision makes no sense.

“After today, they are not going to have any more school for the rest of the week, and I was like, 'Well, why did they even go to school today? Isn’t it already too late?'" she said.

District officials didn't respond to a request for comment on why classes were held Monday if positive cases were reported.