The Dolores School District Re-4A announced Friday afternoon that its elementary and secondary schools would shift to remote learning for a school week, beginning Monday.
The decision to temporarily close schools for in-person learning came after the district saw a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Cases began climbing at the end of last week, Superintendent Reece Blincoe said Thursday.
The district said its Wellness Committee met Friday afternoon to make the decision.
As of Thursday evening, the district had quarantined more than 60 students this week, about 30 of them in the sixth grade alone, Blincoe said. Over 20 students tested positive for the virus, and two additional elementary school students tested positive Thursday, he said.
Teddy Bear Preschool will remain open for in-person learning and care, the Friday announcement said.
Parents were instructed to pick up their children’s Chromebooks and other course materials between 1 and 4 p.m. Monday or 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday,
The district decided Wednesday to postpone its homecoming events, apart from the high school volleyball game Thursday, which saw the team win its 19th consecutive match against Mancos.
“We apologize for the inconvenience that this is going to cause for our school families, but we feel it is the safest course of action under the circumstances at this time,” Blincoe wrote in the letter announcing the move to remote learning.
