READFIELD — Regional School Unit 38’s school board voted Wednesday night to start planning the transition for in-person learning, five days a week.

The announcement, made by Superintendent Jay Charette on Thursday, comes just days after Maranacook Community High School was labeled as having a COVID-19 “outbreak” by the Maine Center for Disease Control.

An outbreak is defined as three or more cases of COVID-19 from, in this case, three different families, within a 14-day time period. Charette said Tuesday that there is “no evidence” of COVID-19 transmission within the building.

The outbreak period will last until Monday, granted no other coronavirus cases arise at the high school.

“We track internally all of our positive tests, quarantines and awaiting test results for students and staff across the district weekly,” Charette said, adding the school board was given that information to review when it made its decision.

He said the transition to in-person learning, five days a week, will start on Feb. 22 for elementary level students. RSU 38’s elementary and middle school students have been in person since the start of the school year, but have had Wednesdays off for a remote learning day.

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The Maranacook Community Middle School students will start in-person learning March 10, while Maranacook Community High School students will start March 8.

According to Charette, the high school students are currently assigned to two cohorts; they are learning remotely three days a week and in person two days a week. The high school transition will be getting them there four times a week.

“We are working to rotate the high school cohorts on Wednesday, so week 1, cohort A will attend in person on Wednesday and then cohort B would come the next week,” Charette said.

He also said that the transition will take the entire staff’s efforts and that families will be receiving a follow up from their child’s principal.

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