DAYTON—After closing the school’s doors to in-person learning on September 1, Dayton middle and high school’s remote learning has been extended through September 9. The district hopes to return to in-person learning on September 13.

Elementary students will remain in in-person instruction.

The announcement, made on the district’s website http://www.daytonsd.org, was made following a continued rise in COVID-19 cases in Columbia County. As of September 7, there were 33 active cases in the county.

Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman told county commissioners that the public health’s office was ‘hectic’ and that their phones were ‘ringing off the hook’ with testing requests. From August 24-26, there were 51 new cases reported.

On September 3, Columbia County Health System CEO Shane McGuire took to Facebook to share that, since August 15, the health system has performed 357 COVID-29 tests. Of the more than 350 tests, 98 were positive. The health system experienced a 27% positivity rate, jumping up from the 6% positivity rate that the county experienced prior to the Delta variant.

“Thank you to parents for keeping students at home who are showing symptoms of illness. It will help keep our elementary students in school,” said Dayton School District Superintendent Guy Strot.