On Thursday, another area school district announced it would be canceling Friday classes due to a staffing shortage.
The Smithton R-VI School District sent out a letter to families telling them of the cancelation and following the district tier model once they return to school on Monday.
The district experienced a drop in staff attendance from 92.68% last Thursday to 81.71% this Thursday. During that same time frame, the COVID-related absences among staff have risen from 50% to 93.33%. It is becoming increasingly difficult to not only fill these absences but to maintain vital programs across the district for our staff and students.
Superintendent David Bray said in the letter that there were no expectations for students and staff to connect Friday regarding classes, along with asking families to watch for information from sponsors and coaches of student activities scheduled during this time.
When the district returns to school on Monday, Jan. 24, it will remain in Tier 2 and strongly
encourage everyone to remain at home when not feeling well, especially if they are experiencing new symptoms related to COVID-19.
In addition, the district will continue to take measures to increase social distancing between students and staff and strongly encourage everyone to wear a mask when safe distances are not possible.