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Parents scramble as two schools closed Friday in central Pennsylvania

Shikellamy and Midd-West both closed on Friday morning.

Friday started off as a normal day for students at Shikellamy School district, but soon after school started, it was over.

"It was about 9:05 to be precise and I had to pick them up at 9:15 so I'm rushing around trying to pick them up from school," said parent Nicole Heiser.

According to Shikellamy Superintendent Jason Bendle, students were dismissed early because of a potential exposure to the coronavirus. Bendle says students at Shikellamy High and Priestley Elementary Schools were possibly exposed to COVID-19.

Bendle said, "The district has taken this action as a precautionary measure to air on the side of safety."

Christina Collazo has two boys in the district and was dropping them off when she got the call about the early dismissal.

"We just turned back around. I said there's no need for me to take my kids to school because I'm going to have to turn around and pick them up."

Midd-West School District in Middleburg was also closed. District officials say an employee came in contact with a person from Snyder County who is quarantined with symptoms similar to the coronavirus.

Parents we spoke with are concerned about how the students will react to all of this.

"They act like it's no big deal, to be honest. They fight like normal, so I don't think they really understand it and I'm hoping they don't," Heiser said.

Parents we spoke with have different opinions on whether the early dismissal was a good idea.

"I think that it is, just to be extra cautious. I wish they did something a little earlier, so we didn't go into the schools," Collazo said.

"I understand it's a virus. It can kill people. But I think they're over-dramatizing it and scaring the kids a little bit. I went to the school and some of the kids were actually crying," Heiser added.

RELATED: Snyder County school district closed as precautionary measure

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