MADISON — Students at Madison Comprehensive High School will transition to remote learning for a week starting this Friday. 

Superintendent Rob Peterson announced Wednesday that due to a recent spike in staff illness at the high school, face-to-face learners will transfer to remote learning from Nov. 6 through Nov. 13. and return to face-to-face learning Nov. 16. This change only applies to high school students.

“This will be for our face-to-face learners, it will be similar to what we experienced back in the spring. They will be working with all of their teachers to get instruction and complete assignments,” Peterson said. 

Peterson described the choice to go remote as proactive measure.

“What we’re really trying to do with this is just kind of stop it in its tracks and not let it get out of hand. We’re seeing some significant staff illness and we want to stop it where it’s at,” he explained.

Peterson indicated that not all staff illness was due to COVID-19, but declined to give specifics due to privacy concerns. 

Madison High School’s switch to remote learning comes less than a week after classes were cancelled districtwide on Oct. 29 due to “general illness.”

All buildings were thoroughly cleaned during the closure, which Peterson said was due largely to a staffing shortage. He noted staffing issues were also a factor in the high school’s transition to remote learning.

Since Oct. 29, the district has announced five positive COVID-19 cases at the high school, three at the middle school and one at Mifflin Elementary. It was not specified whether the cases were among staff or students.

Families of Madison High School students will be able to pick up meals for Friday and Tuesday on Nov. 6 between 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the high school. Additional meals will be available for pickup on Nov. 11. Families are asked to stay in their car and let staff deliver food boxes to them. Families must fill out the meal request form on the district’s website by Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.

There will be no classes or meals provided for Nov. 9, due to an in-service day.

Peterson said the district is continuing to follow COVID-19 protocols and procedures and asked the community to do the same.

“Where these illnesses are coming from, they don’t necessarily come from the school,” he said. “Continue to monitor children closely before they come to school. Hand washing, the distancing and the mask wearing — We all need to work together as a team to continue to follow the protocols and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”