The Jim Thorpe Area School District will shift to a virtual learning program beginning Dec. 1 until at least Jan. 19.

The decision was made during the district’s school board meeting on Monday night. The vote was unanimous.

Superintendent John Rushefski said he had many meetings with the department of education, with information from the department of health.

“We were looking at things you would hear in the press like incidence rates and positivity rates,” said Rushefski. “Here in Carbon County, they’re escalating very quickly. ... The concerning number is that age of 25-64. That rate is somewhere around 55, to just under 60%.

“Essentially, my supervision population here in Jim Thorpe are the ones that are the most under attack. My recommendation, that I’ll be giving later on to the board and the Jim Thorpe community, is based on the fact that we need to safely administer a COVID-19 health and safety plan throughout the district. We have to supervise it accordingly. The supervision, right now, we are at the end of our rope in terms of substitutes and coverage. We’re as spread thin as can be. Our concern is what will happen after the holiday.”