With the Omicron variant causing a surge in local COVID-19 infections, a couple of the county’s special school districts ended up closing down for a couple of days last week.
Both West Carroll and Hollow Rock-Bruceton schools were closed on Thursday and Friday. Carroll Academy in Huntingdon was also closed on those two days. All three schools, however, were back open on Monday.
High numbers of staff being out due to COVID or other illnesses were cited as the main reason for last week’s closings.
In a Jan. 19 telephone interview, West Carroll Director of Schools Preston Caldwell said that they had 16 teachers and 14 other staff members out, including two of the districts three principals, two of the school nurses, and one of the two school resource officers. As far as the student body, Caldwell said there were over 150 students either testing positive for COVID or in quarantine.
“We’ve got so many positive with COVID,” said Caldwell, who commended remaining staff members for putting in double and triple duty to try to keep schools open. “We hung on till we just couldn’t keep it all covered.”
“Unfortunately, we had to close school for a couple of days,” wrote Hollow Rock-Bruceton Director of Schools Myles Hebrard in an email response. “Our numbers were escalating this past week to a point where it was difficult to hold the appropriate instructional opportunities necessary to get our students on track. We hit a high number of positive cases, which in turn, made others around those cases quarantined and/or sick themselves.”
Hebrard said custodial and maintenance staff used those two days to sanitize the facility and get things ready to reopen on Monday. He also pointed out that, with a waiver from the state, his school district has moved to an A/B schedule format.
“Our plan is to go the next two weeks, beginning Monday, with students on an alternating schedule,” wrote Hebrard. “This plan was one we used in the fall, and honestly, we were able to see minimal spread and get ourselves back on a regular schedule. We hope that by doing the A/B schedule, and with the help of our parents/guardians, we can move back to minimizing the spread of illness.”
According to officials with the Huntingdon, McKenzie, and South Carroll Special School Districts, those schools have not been hit quite as hard and have managed to stay open.
Huntingdon Director of Schools Johnathan Kee said Thursday that they had 10 staff members and over 30 students testing positive for COVID, as well as additional absences due to other illnesses.
Kee said his staff continues to do a good job in filling in the holes.
“Right now, that’s what’s keeping us open,” said Kee.
McKenzie Director of Schools Lynn Watkins said that there were between 15 and 20 staff members and about 170 students out on Thursday, some with COVID and some with regular flu.
“We’re holding on,” said Watkins, who pointed out that have had to move some staff around to keep everything covered.
At Thursday night’s school board meeting, South Carroll Director of Schools Lex Suite said they had a couple of teachers out and about 50 students in quarantine earlier that day.
“We’ve been hit significantly, but we’ve been able to keep our doors open,” said Suite.
