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The Villages
Friday, May 3, 2024

COVID-19 virus slams students and staff members in all three local school districts

This past week proved to be a difficult one in tri-county schools as 212 COVID-19 cases were reported among students and employees.

Both the Lake County and Marion County school districts reported 98 cases apiece, while the Sumter County School District reported 16 cases. A total of 2,166 students and employees in Lake and Marion schools also were quarantined after possibly coming into contact with someone suffering from the virus. The Sumter County School District doesn’t release quarantine numbers as part of its daily COVID-19 report.

Sixteen new cases were reported last week in Sumter County Schools among five students and 11 staff members. The schools and departments affected include The Villages Charter School, Wildwood Elementary School, Wildwood Middle High School, South Sumter Middle School, South Sumter High School and Bushnell Elementary. The school district’s daily numbers don’t include employees at The Villages Charter School, as they aren’t employed by the district.

The cases in Lake County Schools were divided among 80 students and 18 employees. A total of 1,251 students and 110 employees also were quarantined. The schools and departments that were affected by the virus include Fruitland Park Elementary, Leesburg High School, Beverly Shores Elementary, Astatula Elementary, Umatilla High, East Ridge High, Lake Hills School, Mineola Charter, Sorrento Elementary, Tavares High, Eustis High, Round Lake Charter, Mount Dora High, Tavares Elementary, Lost Lake Elementary, Lake Minneola High, the District IT Department, Windy Hill Middle, South Lake High, Cecil E. Gray Middle, Pinecrest Lakes Charter, Imagine South Lake Charter, Mount Dora Middle, Triangle Elementary, Grassy Lake Elementary, Mascotte Charter, Groveland Elementary, Clermont Middle, Rimes Early Learning and Seminole Springs Elementary.

The 98 positive results in Marion County Schools include 57 students and 41 employees. A total of 730 students and 75 employees also have been quarantined. The schools and departments affected include Anthony Elementary, Belleview Elementary, Belleview High, Belleview Middle, Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary, Dunnellon High, Dunnellon Middle, Eighth Street Elementary, Exceptional Student Education, Food Service Department, Forest High, Fort McCoy School, Greenway Elementary, Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, Howard Middle, Lake Weir Middle, Legacy Elementary, Liberty Middle, Maplewood Elementary, Marion Charter, Marion Oaks Elementary, Marion Virtual, North Marion High, North Marion Middle, Oakcrest Elementary, Osceola Middle, Ocala Springs Elementary, Saddlewood Elementary, South Ocala Elementary, Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary, Sunrise Elementary, Technical Services Department, Transportation Department, Vanguard High and West Port High.

Villagers don’t have gates but the Morse family does

A Village of Country Club Hills resident, in a Letter to the Editor, points out The Villages is not a true gated community, but the Morse family is living behind gates at their compound.

Villager says his Black Lab has been attacked by unleashed dogs

In a Letter to the Editor, a Village of Dabney resident reports that his Black Lab has been attacked by small unleashed dogs.

The gates are more beneficial than you might think

A Village of Palo Alto resident suggests the gates are of more value than just slowing down traffic. He explains in a Letter to the Editor.

Shockingly light sentence in hit-and-run death

A Village of Antrim Dells resident was shocked to read about the sentence a woman received after a hit-and-run crash on Rolling Acres Road claimed the life of a pedestrian and seriously injured a second man.

They are ruining the reasons people have chosen The Villages

A Village of St. James resident who moved to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown a decade ago, fears The Villages is ruining the reason people chose to buy homes here.