Brown County Middle School will be closed for the rest of the week after the school surpassed the 20-percent absence threshold to continue offering in-person classes today.

Van Buren Elementary also went on “red” level yesterday due to the percentage of students or staff absent because of COVID exposure, symptoms or a positive test. That school had 25 percent absent yesterday.

In addition to the two students at BCMS whose new positive test results were reported today, a staff member at Helmsburg Elementary also tested positive. There are currently 11 positive cases at four different schools, according to the district’s COVID tracking chart.

Close contacts were identified and families of close contacts have been notified.

BCMS and Van Buren will be closed and students will be instructed remotely for the rest of this week. As long as no more positive cases are reported Friday or over the weekend, students at both schools can return to in-person instruction on Monday, Aug. 30 unless they were given a different return date as a close contact.

Families in the affected schools will get more information from their teachers and building leaders.

All athletics at the middle school will be canceled during the time the building is closed.

Classes at Helmsburg and Sprunica elementaries and Brown County High School will go on as normal in person for the rest of the week.

Parents can monitor the symptom, absence and positive case levels in their children’s school buildings at http://www.browncountyschools.com/covid-19-updates/ under “daily metric report.”