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DOWAGIAC — Kincheloe Elementary School will switch to remote learning starting Friday through Nov. 10, Dowagiac Union Schools Superintendent Jonathan Whan announced Thursday.

The temporary closure comes after a staff member previously in quarantine tested positive for COVID-19. Whan said the staff at Kincheloe has been reduced and challenged due to COVID-19 and other non-related causes. In a letter sent to parents, he said the temporary closure would allow the school to reopen in person with “strength of numbers” on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“As a staff, they have worked hard to meet the students’ needs and assist with the coverage of other staff members when substitutes were not available,” Whan said. “Even with their great effort and looking at possible staffing needs for the next few school days, the final assessment has led me to decide for Kincheloe to distance learning tomorrow, Nov. 6, through Tuesday, Nov. 10.”

Whan said the temporary distance learning will follow the same schedule that was observed during the first five weeks of the school year, when the district was fully remote.