LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) – Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) is temporarily closing Picacho Middle School after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
LCPS said the closure will last two weeks per health guidelines from the New Mexico Public Education Department and the state’s public health order.
The school had re-opened to a small pod of special education students on Monday, Oct. 19, district officials said.
According to district officials, the staff member who tested positive had meaningful contact with students and other school employees, all of which are now under a 14-day self-quarantine.
School administrators confirmed that personal protective equipment (PPE) was in use at the time of contact, and the school followed deep cleaning protocols on Wednesday as outlined in LCPS’s re-entry safety plan.
The school will undergo additional sanitation measures on Friday.
Officials said that because
the school cafeteria is in a separate building, Picacho’s grab-and-go meal service will not be affected during the shutdown. Meal distribution will continue as scheduled.
The school is scheduled to re-open to special education students on Nov. 5.
