Welch High School, Ionia High School and Bulldog Beginnings Preschool — which share a campus at 250 E. Tuttle Road — are closed Dec. 4 after an educator was found dead on-site Dec. 3.
Ionia Public Schools Superintendent Ben Gurk announced the death via email early Dec. 4.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news that a beloved Ionia Public Schools educator was found deceased at school,” he wrote. “Our thoughts are with the family, friends, colleagues and students who are affected by this profound loss. Please keep them close in your hearts and prayers during this difficult time.”
The staff member hasn’t been identified, and Gurk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment seeking additional details.
According to Gurk, grief counselors will be available Dec. 5 “to provide further support and comfort to our students and staff.”
“Everyone will process this tragic news in their own way,” he wrote. “As a united community, we will support each other through these trying times.”
— Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Ionia Sentinel-Standard. Contact her at clybrink@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Ionia Sentinel-Standard: Ionia High School closed after educator found dead on campus
Reporting by Cassandra Lybrink, Ionia Sentinel-Standard / Ionia Sentinel-Standard
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