Hermon school officials have decided to switch to remote learning at the high school and middle school levels, due to a surge in cases of COVID-19.

In a letter to parents, Superintendent of Schools Jim Chasse says the decision wasn't an easy one, but necessary given the uptick in positive tests. In just two days, this week, 13 people connected to Hermon Middle school have been diagnosed with COVID, and there are 21 additional cases at Hermon High School. Administrators and health officials are working on contact tracing.

Out of an abundance of caution, officials have decided to move to remote learning for grades 5 through 12, starting on Monday, September 13th. There will be no school for those grades on Friday. The current plan is for Grades 5 through 12 to return to in-person learning on Monday, September 20th. With only two cases of COVID diagnosed within the Patricia A. Duran School community, it was decided that elementary students will continue with in-person learning.

Administrators with the Hermon School Department have been consulting with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Chasse says this move to remote learning uses the guidelines the Maine CDC set up for outbreak schools. Keeping students at home should cut down on large numbers of absences due to students in quarantine. Decisions will be forthcoming about after-school activities for anyone who qualifies by Maine CDC guidelines.

Anyone with questions should contact the principal or nurse at their child's school.

Bangor area TV Slogans Through the Years

28 of the Best Movies Set In Maine Ranked

More From WQCB Brewer Maine