LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The largest school system in Kentucky will be closed on Monday amid an increase in COVID-19 cases. 

Jefferson County Public Schools will be closed to both students and teachers on Monday, and will move to remote learning on Tuesday through "at least Friday" because of COVID staffing shortages, according to email obtained by WDRB.

The district says it doesn't plan for it to be a "prolonged" amount of time of at-home learning.

"With a reduced number of staff available to work in our schools, JCPS is unable to operate our school buildings and is making the temporary switch to remote learning," the district said in an email sent to families. "This time will allow our staff to recover from COVID and complete quarantines and isolations."

Last week, JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said that moving to nontraditional instruction was "probable at some point in the next several weeks" as COVID cases surge in Louisville. 

More than 2,100 students and 627 staff at JCPS had tested positive for COVID-19 while 100 employees and more than 2,701 students were in quarantine as of 7 p.m. Sunday, according to district data. The quarantine numbers can include student's in the district's test-to-stay program. 

Kentucky school districts can use up to 10 days of nontraditional instruction during the 2021-22 school year after policymakers granted broad flexibility for remote learning the previous two academic years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I don't necessarily want unlimited NTI days, but I have a real concern with only 10 NTI days -- that it's going to be a real struggle not just in JCPS, but throughout the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky," Pollio said.

The district plans to return to in-person learning next week. 

"If our staffing levels return to a point that we can safely operate school, our scheduled return to in-person instruction will be Tuesday, January 18," an email sent to JCPS families reads. "This follows the Monday after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday."

Pollio plans to discuss the move to NTI during a news conference on Monday morning.

This story may be updated.  

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