Private co-op school shut down due to teen who tested positive for coronavirus, district says

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned that a Cherokee County private co-op school has been shut down because of one of Georgia’s coronavirus cases.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday night that a Fulton County man and his son contracted the virus after the father went to Italy.

The governor said the man’s 15-year-old son was home-schooled, but Cherokee County Schools said the teen attended some classes at Living Science Home Studies.

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The school district said the study center has been temporarily closed because of the student’s diagnosis.

“We do not oversee private schools or home school students, but the Georgia Department of Health will notify us if any students who attend private school or who are home schooled and are diagnosed with COVID-19 have a household connection to CCSD,” the district said in a news release.

The district said there have been rumors circulating on social media that schools in Cherokee County were being affected by the disease, but the district said those rumors are false.

Living Science Homeschool Study Center posted a statement on its website, saying:

"Earlier this week Georgia Department of Public Health (GPDH) announced two cases of COVID-19 coronavirus have been diagnosed in Fulton County: a father and a homeschooled son. On Tuesday, March 3 GPDH informed the Living Science Academy (Living Science) Administration that the son is enrolled at Living Science.

"GPDH has contacted the families directly who have children in the same Wednesday class as the student. GPDH has asked those families to self-quarantine voluntarily for the two-week incubation period of the virus and to wait to return to class until Thursday, March 12. If a family was not contacted by the GPDH, then GPDH has determined that their child was not in classes with the student at the relevant time.

"GPDH stated that Living Science was not required to close its campus. However, in an abundance of caution, Living Science has elected to close the campus until Thursday, March 12. Living Science trusts that this decision gives families the greatest freedom to determine how to best care for their children.

"During this time, Living Science asked its teachers to make use of online and virtual resources to enable parents to continue with their children’s homeschool education. Please continue to pray for the affected family. We encourage you to remember the words of Isaiah 41:10:

‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’"

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