CHESHIRE, Mass. — Hoosac Valley Regional School District will revert to full remote learning effective Monday, Dec. 21. 

 

Superintendent Aaron Dean notified the school community late Friday morning.

 

"During the past 4 weeks, Adams has progressed steadily from a grey designation to red," he wrote. "As such, we feel it is in the best interest of everybody's health and safety to hold remote classes for ALL students next week."

 

Adams' case numbers of the novel coronavirus have been fairly low over the past seven months. However, like much of state, it's seen its handful of positive grow ove the past month. 

 

According to Thursday's COVID-19 dashboard published by the state Department of Public Health, Adams has seen 30 new cases within the past two weeks. That's almost a third of the number of cases, 98, it's had since March 1.

 

The town is now in the state's red, or highest, level for COVID-19 transmission. Its positive percent average is 3.92 percent. 

 

Cheshire, the school district's other member town, remains in the gray with fewer the five cases in the last two weeks and 21 cases total since March. 

 

All of next week's classes on Monday, Tuesday and the half-day Wednesday will be remote. 

 

"Unfortunately this also means that starting on Monday, sports practices will be on hold and any scheduled events in the buildings are cancelled," Dean wrote. "We will evaluate the data over the break and make our decisions for resuming practices and activities based on the data."

 

School will be out for the holiday break from Thursday, Dec. 24, to Monday, Jan. 4. 

 

A number of school districts are implementing a two-week remote-learning isolation period after the holidays but Dean said the plan for Hoosac Valley is to return to hybrid learning the first week of the New Year.

 

"As of now the plan is to return in hybrid on January 4th, unless Adams maintains a red designation over the break," he said. "We will make the final decision regarding our return (and all our building-based activities, including athletics) based on the December 31 community data."

 

Parents and guardians with questions should contact their building principals.