Ironwood moves K-6 to remote learning

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood -- The Ironwood Area Schools is moving its elementary students to remote learning for at least the rest of the month, district officials announced Thursday night.

The district cited the area’s rising number of COVID-19 cases as the reason for the move.

“Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic, and an increase in cases affecting our school, Ironwood Area Schools will be moving all elementary instruction to remote instruction starting tomorrow, Oct. 23, and going until at least Friday, Oct. 30,” Superintendent Travis Powell wrote to parents in a post on the district’s Facebook page Thursday. “Parents are asked to contact your child's teacher to arrange pick up of learning materials such as Chromebooks and other resources.”

Students in grades 7-12 and the district’s Great Start Readiness Program will continue with their normal schedules, according to the district.

With the elementary students learning from home, the district’s post said families interested in ordering meals for the week can fill out a form on the school lunch page of the district’s website through Sunday at noon. Meals will be distributed from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at the Luther L. Wright K-12 School’s Pabst Street entrance.

Elsewhere in the region, the Bessemer School District sent the students at A.D. Johnston Junior and Senior High School back to school for in-person learning, while the students at Washington Elementary School are expected to continue learning remotely through the end of the month.

Watersmeet School District officials announced the district was switching to remote learning Friday after a person in the district tested positive for COVID-19.

Wakefield-Marensico, Ewen-Trout Creek, Hurley and Mercer district officials told the Daily Globe they weren’t planning to make any changes to how they were educating students at this time.

Gogebic County has had a total of 343 positive and probable cases over the course of the pandemic, according to the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department’s Thursday update, including 133 active cases.

Ontonagon County has had a total of 78 positive and probable cases as of Thursday, according to the WUPHD, including 16 active cases.

In Wisconsin, the Iron County Health Department reported Thursday that the county has had a total of 178 confirmed cases and 19 probables. Of these cases, 43 are considered active.

Officials encourage people to take steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including wearing masks, practicing social distancing, frequently washing their hands and staying home as much as possible.