ESCANABA — The Escanaba Junior and Senior High School is closing temporarily due to the transmission of COVID-19 there. Escanaba School Superintendent Coby Fletcher made the announcement Thursday afternoon at the same time parents were informed about the decision.

Although the campus will be closed, classes will continue virtually and other school buildings in the district will remain open. The junior high/high school campus is expected to be reopened Monday, Oct. 12.

“We have identified a case of ongoing transmission of COVID-19 among students at the junior high/senior high. As I informed our Eskymo community in my last letter, a high County Level Risk Determination combined with ongoing transmission is one of the circumstances that triggers the closure of a campus to students,” Fletcher stated in a message to parents Thursday afternoon.

The junior high/senior high will be closed to students starting Friday, Sept. 25.

Other information about the closure includes:

– The closure only impacts the junior high/senior high. All other schools will continue to operate as usual.

– The junior high/senior high campus is closed, but school is not cancelled. It will continue virtually via livestream.

– The closure will run from Sept. 25 through Oct. 9.

– In-person school will resume on Monday, Oct. 12.

– Junior high/senior high staff will continue to report and will livestream classes at their

regularly scheduled times.

– Students are expected to be present for streamed classes just as they would face to face

classes. Attendance will be taken as usual.

– Livestreaming will start Monday, Sept. 28. Teachers will provide the information necessary to access Google Classrooms.

School administration will provide information regarding Chromebooks for students who do not have access to a computer. Distribution will be Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. If a student does not receive a Chromebook in time to attend class on Monday, they will be excused.

All junior high/senior high activities, including Friday’s football game and Saturday’s cross country meet, are cancelled during the closure.

“While a closure is something we all hoped to avoid, we are fortunate to have the necessary resources to continue to hold school virtually as we take the measures necessary to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 among our students and staff. Their health and safety is foremost in our minds,” Fletcher said.