In light of Sunday’s Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shutdown order due to surging coronavirus cases, Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) announced that all K-12 schools will go virtual starting Wednesday through December 8.

While the state order allows face-to-face instruction to continue for preschool-8th grade classrooms, TCAPS said in a release that rising coronavirus cases and staff shortages prompted the district to go remote for all grades.

“We are grateful to have been able to have face-to-face learning happening in our schools for the last few weeks,” says TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner. “However, we knew there would likely come a time when the virus could again lead us to need to take a pause from in-person activities and return to remote learning for a while. We are hoping this three-week remote learning time will allow us to begin to again flatten the curve.”

School will be held face-to-face for all elementary school students on Monday and Tuesday. Remote learning will begin for elementary school students on Wednesday. Middle school and high school students were already scheduled to learn remotely this week. Sunday’s announcement extends the remote learning for secondary students by two weeks. Meals will be available at each school building from 7am to 1pm. Preschool and Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classrooms will continue face-to-face, according to the release.