Now that school has been out for a month, Maine has been going through its annual “back-to-school” viral season. In the “post-Covid” world we now live in, however, hiring issues have made something that used to happen all the time a bit more difficult.
There used to be a lot of back-up bus drivers and teachers to choose from, but these days there are fewer and fewer of them. So if teachers and drivers get sick with something like a fall virus that spreads quickly, there might not be anyone to fill in.
That’s what happened in RSU 13 (Rockland, South Thomaston, Thomaston, Owl’s Head, and Cushing) on Monday morning when the word got out that there would be no school because staff members were sick.
This afternoon, John C. McDonald, who is the superintendent of schools for RSU 13, wrote a follow-up message on the RSU’s Facebook page.
“Thank you for being patient and understanding when our schools had to close this morning without warning. The flu and cold season has affected staffing, and that, along with a lack of workers in our transport area, has made things hard to do.
For the rest of the week, everything should go as planned. If we need to make changes, though, we have backup plans to keep our transport system going.
McDonald told people in the neighbourhood to keep checking the page because it was where any new information would be posted.
“Report elevated absenteeism or school closure due to illness,” says the Maine CDC, and there are procedures in place to stop the spread of viruses even more.
“School administrators with questions about reporting increased absenteeism, precautions to take, or the ways in which to notify parents about cases of flu in the school, should contact Maine CDC’s Clinical Consultation line at 1-800-821-5821 or e-mail: disease.reporting@maine.gov.”