Menasha schools going virtual due to increase in spread of COVID-19

Posted: Sep 21, 2020 / 01:58 PM CDT / Updated: Sep 21, 2020 / 05:11 PM CDT

MENASHA, Wis. (WFRV) – Another Fox Valley school will be going virtual in response to growing cases of COVID-19 in the area.

The Menasha Joint School District sent a note to parents and guardians that students will transition to virtual learning at the end of the week.

“Despite the efforts we have made to socially distance, wash hands and sanitize, thoroughly clean our buildings each evening, and wear our face coverings, the numbers have continued to rise,” the letter reads.

The letter continues, saying that at the beginning of September, the City of Menasha averaged three new cases of COVID-19 each day. Now, three weeks later, the city is averaging almost 11 cases each day.

“We are struggling to fill substitute teaching positions as the weeks go by. The contact tracing and quarantining of students and staff have taken a toll on our schools and our local health department, as well as our families who have had to make adjustments suddenly.”

Menasha Joint School District says that, after working with the Menasha Health Department, they have decided to switch to all virtual instruction by Friday, September 25.

“Unfortunately with our current patterns of activity, our projections would suggest that we will continue to see increases in hospitalization in the region in the days and weeks to come,” the health department says.

Classes and activities will continue through Tuesday of this week. On Thursday, students will not be in attendance so they can prepare for virtual learning. Those already learning virtually will not be affected, according to the Menasha Joint School District.

District officials say they hope to return to hybrid learning “before too long.”

The letter goes on to ask families to continue practicing safe measures like social distancing and wearing a face covering to help slow the spread of the virus.

The Menasha Joint School District isn’t the only one seeing schools go virtual this week – two high schools in the Oshkosh Area School District will begin virtual learning in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the area.

Last week, the Kewaunee School District announced it would move to virtual learning starting Monday, Sept. 21, and running through Friday, Oct. 2 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the area. School officials say the district will return to in-person learning on Monday, Oct. 5 “pending school and community metrics.”