Catoosa County Schools News Release

On October 16, 2014, Catoosa County Public Schools confirmed that two Heritage High School students are in Uganda on a mission trip. These students are working in home churches and distributing food. They are not engaged in any form of medical outreach.

Heritage High School has been contacted by parents who are concerned that these students could be exposed to Ebola on this trip. Uganda is 3000 miles from the outbreak of Ebola in East Africa.

Superintendent Denia Reese said, “When we were contacted by concerned parents, I immediately contacted Public Health in Rome, Georgia, and spoke to Dr. Wade Sellers, Health Director of Northwest Georgia Public Health. I also spoke to the CDC in Atlanta.”

Health Director Dr. Wade Sellers commented, “We know some people are concerned about the impending return of two Catoosa County students from a mission trip to Uganda. There is currently no human Ebola disease in Uganda. Uganda is 3000 miles from the current Ebola hot zone in West Africa, further than the distance from New York to Los Angeles.”

He added, “We understand the anxiety many of us are feeling these days about this scary disease that’s all over the news, but there is absolutely no reason, public health or otherwise, to do anything other than welcome back these two young people with open arms and admiration for their mission work in Uganda. Their return from Uganda does not represent any sort of public health risk to anyone.”

Superintendent Reese said, “I want to commend these two students for serving on the mission field, and I want to assure parents that the health and safety of all our students will always be my highest priority.”

If you have questions, please contact the school system at 706-965-2297 or email: questions@catoosa.k12.ga.us.