Rutherford County Schools released a statement Tuesday, March 10, about coronavirus. Here it is:

RCS parents, we want to update you about our coronavirus precautions and how we plan to move forward as cases become more common in Tennessee.

First and most importantly, our immediate plan is to remain focused on proactive precautions based on recommendations from state health officials.

Health leaders have advised the community not to panic and to continue practicing common-sense health measures, such as good hand washing, covering to sneeze / cough and staying home if you are sick. We are also working to clean the schools thoroughly on a routine basis.

We plan to continue with normal operations until health officials advise us otherwise. We are constantly monitoring the situation and if anything changes that affects our county, we will keep parents informed.

If a case is reported in Rutherford County, we will work in conjunction with health officials to determine an appropriate plan of action. It may involve canceling school events, or closing a few schools only, or it may be necessary to close the entire district. This will all depend on the specifics of the situation.

In the meantime, our schools will remain open and the attendance policy remains in place. We do not have the capacity to offer school online for the entire district, and even if we did, not all families would have the ability to participate.

We want to assure parents that we are taking multiple precautions and constantly monitoring updates from our public health leaders. We would encourage parents to help us promote this sense of precaution — not panic – at home with your children. As always, thanks for all that you do.