WOODBRIDGE, Va. — A math teacher in Prince William County, Virginia, has died from coronavirus complications, according to Gar-Field High School Principal Matthew Mathison.
In a letter to parents, Mathison said Richard Zuckernick from complications of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 9. He had been battling the virus for "the past few months," according to the letter.
Mathison said Zuckernick had been working virtually all year, and despite the distance, had formed strong bonds with his students.
Zuckernick began teaching math at Prince William County Schools in 2011 at Lake Ridge Middle School before transferring to Gar-Field High School in August of 2017.
"Words cannot express the grief the Gar-Field community will feel from this loss," Mathison said.
Mathison said counselors will be visiting with each of Mr. Zuckernick's classes this week to provide support, but the principal encouraged parents, especially of students who are distance learning, to pay close attention to the emotional needs of their children over the next few weeks, especially if they knew or were taught by Zuckernick.
"This is a difficult time for our school community, but Gar-Field students and staff will support each other as we deal with this loss," Mathison wrote.
Zuckernick's death comes less than a week before Virginia is required to have in-person learning plans in place.
Last month, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam called on all K-12 schools in the Commonwealth to make in-person learning options available by March 15, 2021 in accordance with the health guidance the Northam administration put forward in January and new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Northam pointed to learning loss during the pandemic as the reason for students to return to in-person instruction.
But in Prince William County, most parents are choosing to remain virtual rather than an in-person hybrid model
Diana Gulotta, Director of Communications for Prince William County Public Schools, told WUSA9 in an email that currently only 30% of parents high school students chose to enroll their students in in-person instruction.
"These numbers will continue to fluctuate as families make/change decisions," Gulotta said.
Gulotta did not have an exact number of teachers who had returned to classrooms in Prince William County, but she said she believed most had returned.