Geneva preschool partially shut down due to COVID-19 cases

A private preschool and kindergarten in Geneva closed Thursday due to eight positive cases of COVID-19, according to an official at the school.

Patty Sherman, admissions director for Kensington School, said in an email that the eight cases were out of 230 staff members and children at the school at 1776 W. State St.

Sherman did not specify how many children and how many staff were affected.

"Right now, closing classrooms to minimize risk is a part of operating early childhood programs safely. It is a preventative measure," Sherman's email read. "Kane County has experienced an increase in cases. Everyone is affected by that increase. We have been extra vigilant in taking every possible precaution to reduce the risk of exposure."

The school opened Monday, following an open house and meet-the-teacher night Aug. 12, according to email announcements to parents.

The school announced to parents that it is closed today and through Aug. 31 due to positive COVID-19 cases. It plans to reopen on Aug. 31, unless cleared by the Kane County Health Department to open earlier.

Affected classrooms are for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds and kindergarten.

"We know closing classrooms causes a great inconvenience to our families, and we do not take that lightly," Sherman wrote. "However, our responsibility is to always use every possible measure to reduce the risk of exposure within our school community."

The Kensington School of Geneva opened in 1999, providing child care and early childhood education, Sherman said.

Kensington School has 14 locations, including St. Charles, Hinsdale, Western Springs, Wheaton, Naperville, Elmhurst and LaGrange. It offers an infant nursery and classes for children age 2 through kindergarten, summer camp and arts, according to its website.

"We closed during the Stay-At-Home order in the spring of 2020 and we reopened on June 1 of 2020," Sherman wrote. "Since then, early childhood programs have had intermittent reports of positive test results which have subsequently led to room closures."

In an email message, officials promised "a deep and thorough cleaning of the entire building" and asked parents to continue to monitor their children for symptoms of illness and notify the school.