Stedman Elementary School will transition to remote learning for the rest of the week due to the impact of COVID-19 according to an announcement Monday from Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter.

Kludt-Painter wrote that the elementary school is experiencing multiple staffing issues as Petersburg continues to see high community spread.

Contact tracing efforts within the school district are also being impacted by the high number of cases and close contacts both inside and outside of the schools.

Principal Heather Conn announced Monday morning that a kindergarten class had to be canceled for the day and wrote that eight Stedman staff members were out due to sickness along with there being no certified substitutes.

On Monday, Stedman had the highest number of active cases between staff and students among the three schools with 20 along with an additional 19 on quarantine according to the PSD COVID-19 Dashboard.

There were also six active cases and 11 on quarantine at Mitkof Middle School and four active cases and two on quarantine at Petersburg High School

The Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard, last updated on November 12, reported 73 active cases Friday with 54 new positives in the week preceding.

The middle and high schools are still conducting in person learning, but Kludt-Painter wrote the status of the schools could change based on staffing needs and COVID-19 cases.

According to the Stedman Bulletin, there will be no school next week because of Thanksgiving, meaning that the earliest students could return to in person learning would be after Thanksgiving break in two weeks.