Pascack Hills and Pascack Valley High Schools will operate fully remote until Dec. 14, Superintendent Erik Gundersen announced in a district-wide email. The decision was determined by local, county, and state health officials, Gundersen said. The officials said contact tracing investigations indicated a community outbreak of Covid-19, with a “significant rise in the number of positive COVID-19 test results” that “are not clearly indicating a specific circle, or circles, of people.”

Both Hills and Valley will continue on their current rotation schedule, beginning with a B1 day on Monday, Nov. 30. All in-person co-curricular activities are canceled through Sunday, Dec. 13.

Guidelines from the Bergen County Health Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health have said schools in 18 NJ counties, including Bergen, should “consider implementing fully remote learning” due to the increase in Covid-19 activity levels.

There have been at least three positive Covid-19 tests reported among individuals at Pascack Hills and at least seven reported among individuals at Pascack Valley since the school year began, with Gundersen announcing “several” additional cases at Valley on Monday. Both schools have alternated between hybrid and fully remote learning several times since late October, with switches to fully remote due to contact tracing investigations, a high number of teachers instructing from home in quarantine, or health officials’ recommendations.

Barring no setbacks, Gundersen said the district plans to reopen on Dec. 14. “During the Thanksgiving holiday and this time of remote learning, we implore everyone in our community to do all they can to stay safe,” he added. “[T]he health of our community is our number one priority.”