GARDINER  — Maine School Administrative District 11 Superintendent Pat Hopkins made the decision to extend Gardiner Regional Middle School’s status as “red” until the new year.

Maine School Administrative District 11 Superintendent Pat Hopkins at Dec. 3 virtual school board meeting. On Friday, she announced Gardiner Regional Middle School will operate under the “red” designation until January. Image from video

Hopkins wrote in a letter on Friday, Dec. 4, that there are additional COVID-19 cases that arose at Gardiner Area High School and additional cases that are expected to come out at the middle school.

Because of this and the number of students and staff in quarantine, the middle school will be operating “in the red” until Jan. 4.

Being in the red means that instruction cannot take place at the school, only at home, remotely.

However, at Thursday’s school board meeting, the board voted for students with special services to be allowed to have in-person instruction. These students will not be affected by Hopkin’s decision to extend the middle school’s red status.

It was also revealed during the school board meeting that six GRMS staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, some in critical condition.

“I know this is a difficult time for many of you, especially when your children are not in school,” Hopkins wrote in her Dec. 4 letter. “Please be assured that we continue to strive for all students to be back in school.”