Pleasant Valley superintendent Dr. Lee Lesisko made a second call to parents Wednesday shortly after noon. The first told parents about a second teacher diagnosed with COVID-19.

This second time, he said the high school will be closed through Oct. 12. All high school sports will be canceled through this time. Middle school sporting and activity events are currently being evaluated.

“We feel this is the responsible action to take, given the circumstance,” he said.

The decision to expand the closure came about after the state Department of Health did its line tracking of the second teacher from the high school to be positive for COVID-19, Lesisko said. The DOH discovered that the teacher had been in close proximity to many more people than originally thought to be the case. Because of this, the DOH recommended that in-person classes cease at the high school for the period of time needed for incubation of the virus.

“We decided to err on the side of caution,” he said. “We want to make sure our kids are OK, and our staff is OK.”

Students at the high school will continue their classes through online learning during the closure.

High school students who attend the Monroe Career & Technical Institute may return to classes at MCTI on Thursday, but they cannot ride on the school buses with students from the district’s other schools. Lesisko said the district does not want the older students mixing with the younger students. Pleasant Valley’s elementary, intermediate and middle schools have stayed open for the hybrid in-person classes.

In-person classes at the high school will resume on Oct. 13.

Pleasant Valley School District reported its first case of a teacher with COVID-19 on Friday. That teacher had not been in the high school since Sept. 15.

On Sunday, the school district was notified by MCTI that one of its two staff people, who tested positive for COVID-19, is a teacher who taught a class at Pleasant Valley High School on Sept. 17.

This third COVID-19 case and second teacher at PVHS was reported Tuesday evening.

Although in-person classes are on hold, meals will still be available between 10 a.m. and noon for students while in remote learning.