Colorado High School to Resume Lessons After 2 Teachers Die Within 24 Hours

A classroom in a file photo on March 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The majority of classes are set to resume at a Colorado high school on April 12 after two teachers died within 24 hours of each other, with one of the deaths linked to suspected bacterial meningitis.

While district and public health officials continue to investigate the deaths at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, most classes as well as after-school activities, such as SAT exams and athletics will resume as normal, according to a notice on the school’s website.

All classes and after-school activities were previously canceled at the school of roughly 3,000 students on Tuesday and Wednesday by Cherry Creek Schools District after officials confirmed the death of Maddie Schmidt, a special education teacher, over the weekend.

Health officials say she died after displaying symptoms consistent with bacterial meningitis.

Classrooms in the Integrated Learning Center where Schmidt worked will remain closed Thursday and Friday, however, “to allow families and staff to connect with their health care providers,” the district said in an email to teachers, Colorado Public Radio reported.

Those classes will resume as normal on Monday, Lauren Snell, a public information officer for the district, told the outlet.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by various pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses.

Symptoms of Meningitis include a stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches, and vomiting. The infection can be deadly unless treated with antibiotics as soon as possible.

2nd Teacher’s Death Confirmed

The Arapahoe County Public Health Department said in a statement that it will contact staff and the families of pupils who have been identified as having close contact with Schmidt, and they will be provided with antibiotics for prophylaxis.

The school is also sending out general information from Arapahoe County Public Health about bacterial meningitis, including about symptoms and when to call a health care provider.

The school later confirmed that the death of a second teacher, Judith Geoffroy, a paraprofessional also working in the Integrated Learning Center, had occurred over the weekend, according to Colorado Public Radio.

Geoffroy’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed by school officials or Arapahoe County Public Health. However, health officials said they are not investigating her death as a potential case of meningitis.

“We are only investigating the one case,” said Jennifer Ludwig, the health department’s director, in a virtual press conference on Wednesday when asked whether Schmidt and Geoffroy had been in close contact with each other. “That is the only individual that we have information on at this time. It’s still an open investigation, and we are only investigating the one right now.”

“Our team kicked into gear working with Cherry Creek School District to identify close contacts of the individual so that we could begin our contact tracing,” Ludwig said of Schmidt. “It’s very important that we notify close contacts as quickly as possible because the timeframe in which to reach them, so that they can then seek medical care, is very short.”

Possible Bacterial Infection

Meanwhile, Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer for the health agency, said officials are concerned that Schmidt’s death may have been caused by Neisseria meningitidis.

Neisseria meningitidis is a bacteria that can lead to meningococcal meningitis, when the linings of the brain and spinal cord become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria are typically spread by sharing respiratory or throat secretions (saliva or spit) during close contact.

“We’re very concerned about this case being a case of Neisseria meningitidis, which is a specific type of bacteria and this bacteria is very, very serious because it causes invasive disease very quickly,” Urbina said.

However, he stressed that individuals who have been in close contact with persons with Neisseria meningitidis would need to spend more than eight hours with the infected individual to be at risk.

“It’s not spread by casual contact,” Urbina added.

Officials at Eaglecrest High School have asked anyone who may be experiencing symptoms to stay home as the investigation continues.

The Epoch Times has contacted Eaglecrest High School for comment.