COVID cases force an Albany middle school to go remote

Students at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School in Albany are learning from home Thursday. The decision to switch to remote learning this week was made because of a high number of COVID-19 cases affecting the building.

The school says virtual learning will happen through Oct. 26. So the earliest students could return to these classrooms for in-person learning is Wednesday.

The district says they have 14 active COVID-19 cases plus another 160 students and staff in quarantine.

Those stats are what caused district officials to send students home with their Chromebooks and chargers on Tuesday.

The school district is offering a COVID-19 testing clinic Friday at the school from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parents must register ahead of time online. The school says it will take one to two days to get the results back.

The district says it will use that information to help decide whether students can return for in-person learning Wednesday or if class will continue virtually.

According to the district’s website, modified sports practices and games are still happening this week despite the shift to distance learning.