LACY LAKEVIEW, Texas — A Texas school district is mourning the loss of a 16-year-old high school student who died of COVID-19 on Wednesday — the fourth student or staff member the district has lost to the virus since August.
George Moralez, a 16-year-old student at Connally High School in Waco, died Wednesday night after a month-long battle with the virus.
"My George fought so hard to the very end," said Sabrina Moralez, George's mom. "He was the best kid you could've ever met."
According to the district, George was involved in the Air Force Junior ROTC program and was a manager of the football team.
"Our sympathy and condolences go out to this family," said Wesley Holt, the Connally Independent School District superintendent. "George will be deeply missed by everyone in Connally ISD."
Funeral arrangements are pending, but the district said it would announce them at the request of the family.
George's death marks the fourth time a member of the Connally ISD community has died of COVID-19 since August.
Two teachers — sixth-grade social studies teacher Natalia Chansler and seventh-grade social studies teacher David McCormick — died of COVID-19 within four days of each other in August. A month later, Angela Thompson, an instructional aide at Connally Primary School, died of COVID-19.
The school says it will provide a vaccination clinic for staff, students, parents and the community on Monday between 5:30-7:30 p.m. local time in the Connally High School commons area.
This story was originally published by Jamie Burch on Scripps station KXXV in Waco, Texas.