DIXFIELD — Regional School Unit 56’s schools in Dixfield will remain closed due to four positive COVID-19 cases and not enough bus drivers/custodians available at the schools.

Four employees, all based at T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School in Dixfield, recently tested positive for COVID-19, Superintendent Pam Doyen wrote in a letter posted to the district’s website Monday.

Due to these most recent infections, the district does not have enough bus drivers/custodians available to safely open our buildings on Dec. 3 as previously outlined, the letter said. “Therefore, only students at Dirigo Elementary School (in Peru) will resume in-person classes on Thursday, Dec. 3.”

Dirigio High School and T.W. Kelly Middle School students will continue to receive remote instruction through Dec. 4 and will return to in-person instruction starting Dec. 7, Doyen wrote.

All three district schools have been in fully-remote instruction for all students because two students at the elementary school tested positive for the virus in mid-November, which was followed by a three-day closure for cleaning and disinfecting. The mid-November building closure was then extended when officials were notified on Nov. 22 that a staff member at the middle school and a student at the high school also tested positive for the virus.