A Waco middle school principal has died of COVID-19.

Phillip Perry, 49, the principal of Waco’s G.W. Carver Middle School, was hospitalized Monday after testing positive for the new coronavirus, Waco Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon said earlier in a message to the families of students and district employees.

Perry was the first person to die of the virus in McLennan County.

Kincannon advised the district’s employees of his death in a recorded phone call Tuesday.

“We are very saddened by this news and want to express our love and let the family know that we will be thinking and praying about them in the days to come,” Kincannon said during the call.

“I want our students and families to know that we will be providing counseling support as needed from our staff and our student support team. We will be sending out some information regarding these services as soon as we can.”

Perry had served as the school’s principal since May 2019 after working as the school’s assistant principal from 2013 to 2015.

He served as principal of Fred Edwards Academy in Temple in 2015.

Perry is a Marine Corps veteran who has worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Aldine ISD, and the Lamar Consolidated ISD.

He moved to Waco in 2011 to work as an assistant principal at Waco High School for two years.

During the week after spring break, Perry was on the school’s campus and at the district’s administration building and he was present on March 23 when learning kits were distributed to students’ families, Kincannon said.

Kincannon advised anyone who has been in close contact with Perry since March 20 to notify their healthcare providers.

“We are working with the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, and they will be in contact with anyone who has been in close, prolonged contact with Mr. Perry,” Kincannon said.

“This news is tough to share. While we have all been affected by school closures and shelter-in-place orders, it’s a turning point to know that one of our campus leaders is battling the virus,” she wrote.

The district has a COVID-19 public information line.

The number is (254) 750-1890.

A total of 39 cases of the virus have been confirmed in McLennan County.

Six have recovered.

Last week, a Temple woman in her 80s was the first person in Central Texas to die of the new virus.

— KWTX 10