Over 200 Licking Valley High School students are in quarantine after exposure to COVID-19, which has forced the school to temporarily transition to remote learning less than two weeks after the new school year started.
Students went into quarantine after 26 tested positive for COVID-19 with symptoms, according to an email to parents from principal Wes Weaver. Several of those in quarantine have also experienced symptoms.
Weaver wrote that the decision was "in consultation with the Licking County Health Department," and that students will begin remote learning on Wednesday until September 10. Teachers used Tuesday to prepare for the transition to remote teaching.
"We plan to re-evaluate our situation next week, after we get a clearer picture of numbers of new positive cases from the health department," Weaver wrote in the email.
The Licking Valley school district started the school year on August 18. Masks were not required in any Licking County schools, according to the Licking County Health Department.
All throughout the last academic year, Licking Valley High School had 33 positive cases and over 200 students that needed to quarantine.
