PIKE COUNTY, Ga. — Pike County Public Schools said Thursday its middle and high schools would go to virtual learning next week after being "hit hard" by a rash of COVID-19 cases.
The school system said that it plans to reopen for in-person learning on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
"Our district is now at a place where we have a large percentage of students and staff at grades 6-12 who are not able to come to work or school," the district said in a Facebook post. "We are also having those same challenges with our bus drivers and are having difficulty getting all of the routes covered."
The closures will affect Pike County Middle School, Pike County High School, Zebulon High School, Pike County 9th Grade Academy and the Pike County Alternative Program.
The district's pre-K, primary and elementary schools will remain open for in-person learning without interruption. The district said athletic directors and coaches would provide athletes with more information next week about how school sports will be impacted.
In its Facebook post, the district said that on Friday "teachers will discuss with students how we will be working next week and what the expectations will be for students regarding their assignments."
Students should be prepared to "take everything home with them that they will need to be successful during our distance learning week" the post said.
"We know that the last couple of weeks have been frustrating for our staff, students, and community. Our hope is that next week gives everyone a chance to get healthy and allow quarantines to expire so that we are all ready for a fresh start on September 7," the district said.