Plainfield School District Cancels Classes Friday Due To COVID Surge, Teacher Shortage
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A surge in COVID-19 cases forces one western suburb to shut down schools because of a teacher shortage.
CBS 2's Asal Rezaei explains why an entire district is canceling class.
There will be no school for anyone in the Plainfield school district Friday. The recent surge in COVID cases impacting their teachers
"We simply don't have enough people available to be teaching in the classrooms. And frankly, if they're too sick to teach at school, then they're too sick to teach, period," said Tom Hernandez of Plainfield District 202.
District officials saying even though they work with two different transportation vendors, this week it's been difficult to find bus drivers to staff routes. It's why they decided it would be best to call off school.
"Looking at tomorrow. It just looks like the numbers seem to indicate that it's just not going to be worth the effort to try to have kids in person tomorrow," Hernandez said.
Most parents picking up their kids before the impromptu three-day weekend understood the district's decision.
"I'm okay with it since it's just one day and they can make it up during you know, hopefully later on the spring or summer. I'm fine with it," said Plainfield East high school parent Xhafer Hasani.
"This thing is really having an effect on kids, family, teachers, everybody so it's really crazy," said Priscilla Gyamfi.
An effect that 31 schools across the district are feeling until Monday when classes reopen.
They'll use an emergency day already on the calendar to make up for Friday.
District officials are expecting most teachers and bus drivers who were out with COVID-19 to be fully recovered and ready to resume operations by Monday.
