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ST. LOUIS — A Washington County school teacher has died after being hospitalized with COVID-19, her family said, as schools across the region continue reporting coronavirus exposures and shutdowns.

The Potosi School District on Monday confirmed the death of AshLee DeMarinis, who taught social skills and special education at John Evans Middle School.

Jennifer Heissenbuttel, DeMarinis’ sister, said DeMarinis, 34, died on Sunday after three weeks in the hospital with COVID-19. She said her sister had returned to her classroom to prepare for teaching in the fall, but had not yet started teaching students when she became ill.

“She would stop what she was doing, drop anything for anybody in need,� Heissenbuttel said.

Missouri coronavirus caseloads have generally been rising since early August. The state reported 773 new cases on Tuesday, surpassing 95,000 in total. Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking COVID-19 cases, says Missouri is now tied with Oklahoma for the fifth-highest new confirmed cases per 1,000 residents. And St. Louis County, according to the university, is in the top 50 U.S. counties for total COVID-19 case numbers.

County health officials said last week that 39 students and 34 staff members at public and private schools tested positive in August. Most of the students attended middle or high schools.

And this week, two Catholic schools moved to remote learning after possible exposures to COVID-19, according to the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Schools at Our Lady of Providence in Crestwood and St. Michael the Archangel in Shrewsbury will close for two weeks. A staff member who travels between the two schools has a presumed-positive case of COVID-19. The grade schools opened Aug. 17 for the fall semester.

The two schools are among the first in the St. Louis area to shut down because of potential exposure to the virus. Students in Collinsville returned to schools Monday after two weeks of remote classes following positive tests from several school district employees. Freeburg High School in Illinois also switched to online-only learning for two weeks in August after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19.

St. Louis County health officials recommended the temporary closures of the Catholic schools. The schools will be deep cleaned and students will attend classes virtually, according to an Archdiocese spokeswoman.

Most public schools in St. Louis city and county are conducting classes virtually to start the 2020-2021 year. Nearly all private schools are offering an in-person option to students.

A once-in-a-lifetime friend

DeMarinis, the Potosi teacher, grew up in New York state and went to college in Missouri before becoming a special education teacher.

“I feel like you need to be a special person to do that,� Heissenbuttel said.

Heissenbuttel said her sister had lived in Potosi for about nine years and was beginning her 11th year as a teacher.

DeMarinis loved spending time with her family. She was involved in her church and was skilled at crafting.

“She could make anything beautiful,� Heissenbuttel said.

Heissenbuttel said her sister had asthma.

“COVID’s a horrible disease,� said Heissenbuttel, who works as a nurse in New York state. “People need to be careful, and they need to be cautious. ... Wear your mask. It helps.�

DeMarinis’ mother, Pamela DeMarinis, said her daughter was inspired to become an educator by the teachers who helped her navigate mild dyslexia growing up.

Allie Golden, a basketball coach in the Potosi School District and friend of DeMarinis, described her as a dedicated worker with a pure heart, whose presence felt like a calm in a storm. She was adored by her students, and by everyone around her.

“There’s no words that I can say to describe how good of a person she was,� Golden said. “She’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime friends.�

Kim Coleman, a friend of DeMarinis who attended the same church, St. James Catholic Church in Potosi, said DeMarinis was easy to talk to. Over the course of six years she went from being a friend to a part of the family.

DeMarinis helped lead the church’s youth group, and when a child couldn’t afford to go on a group trip, DeMarinis would cover the cost herself, Coleman said.

Coleman said that when DeMarinis became sick, they had both recently attended church. But DeMarinis was diligent about wearing a mask, and the service was socially distanced.

“It can be any one of us,� said Coleman, who works as a nurse in home health. “And we can’t be too cautious.�