Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) announced Friday that remote learning will continue for middle school and high school students another week, from Monday, November 16 through Friday, November 20.

Additional information about how middle and high school students can continue to access their learning remotely will be provided by their school and/or teachers. Meals will be available daily for pick-up at each school building during the time designated as lunch on the remote schedule.

Earlier this week TCAPS announced its middle schools and high schools would move to remote learning due to immediate staffing challenges facing the district. The reason for continued remote learning at the secondary level is ongoing staffing challenges in key areas including, guest teachers, noon duty aides, and bus drivers. With the middle schools and high schools operating remotely, available staff are able to be redeployed to elementary schools, which allows the school district to continue face-to-face learning for elementary school students and licensed child care programs. 

“Unfortunately, we are experiencing ongoing staffing challenges that we don’t expect to improve over the next week. Therefore, secondary schools will continue remote learning through the next week,” says TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner. “Our goal remains to provide face-to-face instruction for as long as we are able because we recognize the benefits to the students and families who chose this learning option this school year. In order to continue face-to-face learning, we need students, parents, staff, and the community to continue to monitor themselves and their children for COVID-19 symptoms, limit social gatherings, use masks, and wash and sanitize their hands frequently.”

The school district continues to work closely with health professionals from the Grand Traverse County Health Department and Munson Medical Center to review data and to collaborate on the regional response to COVID-19. At this time, TCAPS has not received a recommendation from health professionals that it should not be operating schools face-to-face. Therefore, all TCAPS elementary schools are scheduled to be open for face-to-face learning next week.