PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Providence public school system is bringing high school seniors back to the classroom two weeks earlier than originally planned, in part to help them with the college application process.

Seniors, who have been learning remotely, will now return to the classroom starting next Tuesday, rather than Oct. 13 as originally planned, school officials said.

To accommodate the early return of seniors, the district is delaying the return of sophomore students until Oct. 13.

Each high school grade has been split into two groups, with one attending in person while the other group attends virtually, each for half the day. The schedule allows schools to reduce the number of students in the building at any one time.

So far, only ninth graders have returned to in-person learning in the city’s nine high schools.