The Fayette County school system announced Wednesday that “due to the number of positive COVID-19 cases and the number of persons in quarantine,” students at McIntosh and Starr’s Mill high schools will be on a synchronous hybrid attendance schedule through the end of this semester. Letters sent to parents by the principals of each school said that students will alternate attending classes in person and virtually through Dec. 14 based on the A and B groups they were assigned to at the beginning of the school year. All students will take final exams in person Dec. 15-18.

Students will follow their normal daily class schedules and link to Zoom sessions in real time. Attendance is required and will be monitored by the teachers. Spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said the two schools have seen “a rapid increase in positive cases,” and that case counts are being monitored at all schools so that similar changes to protect student and staff safety can be made if warranted.