Ionia schools closed after ‘beloved’ educator found dead at school

By Max Reinhart, mreinhart@detroitnews.com

Police are investigating after a instructor died at a college in Ionia on Wednesday night.

Ionia Public Faculties Superintendent Ben Gurk confirmed the loss of life in an e-mail message despatched to oldsters Thursday morning and shared by police on social media. Officers didn’t present any figuring out details about the educator, together with the identify, age and whether or not he was male or feminine.

The letter additionally didn’t specify the place the instructor was discovered or how he may need died. Gruk stated Ionia Excessive Faculty, Welch Excessive Faculty and Bulldog Beginnings Preschool had been closed Thursday “in assist of our faculty household.” Every of those faculties is positioned at 250 E. Tuttle Highway in Ionia.

The district additionally operates a secondary faculty and 5 major faculties at different addresses within the district. These amenities remained open Thursday.

Gruk stated grief counselors had been out there Friday to offer assist and luxury to college students and employees. He referred to as the information “heartbreaking” and stated the deceased was a “beloved” instructor.

“Everybody will deal with this tragic information in their very own means; as a united group we’ll assist one another in these tough occasions,” Gruk stated.

Ionia police stated they don’t imagine there’s a menace to the group.

The investigation is ongoing, authorities stated, and knowledge can be launched because it turns into out there.