RICHLAND, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Gull Lake Community Schools are the latest to move to a fully virtual online learning format under the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter released Monday, Superintendent Raphael Rittenhouse explained that the decision is being made due to increasing positive COVID-19 cases.
“Due to the high number of positive cases and quarantines we are experiencing at this particular moment during our school year, we will be moving all students to 100% remote virtual learning starting next Monday, November 16th,” Rittenhouse said in the letter. “We will return to in-person learning on Monday, November 30th for Y5-5th grade and Hybrid Learning for grades 6-12.”
Rittenhouse adds that through contact tracing, the district has learned that many of these cases are coming from violations of health guidelines outside of the school buildings.
“We have confirmed that several cases are a result of students traveling together in vehicles or attendance at indoor social events where social distancing and mask wearing is not happening consistently,” Rittenhouse said. “The team has communicated necessary safety information to involved individuals and families.”
Anyone who has a confirmed positive test should contact the school as soon as possible to better mitigate exposures.
The school may take further measures if cases don’t improve, such as using more remote learning days in the calendar.
Meanwhile, the district is asking that parents continue to monitor for symptoms daily.
This is only the latest school district to move online. On Tuesday, Comstock Public Schools announced that it would move online as well. That decision was made due to both COVID-19 cases and a shortage of teaching staff.
More information on that can be found here.
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