Innisfil school turns to remote learning Friday due to staff shortages

Holy Cross Catholic School in Innisfil, Ont. on Fri. March 19, 2021 (Siobhan Morris/CTV News)

Holy Cross Catholic School in Innisfil closed its doors Friday because of staff shortages, shifting students to remote learning for the day.

The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) confirmed 20 educators called in sick, and the school board could only fill seven of those absentees, leaving 13 positions unfilled.

In an email to CTV News on Friday, Pauline Stevenson, SMCDSB's communications manager, stated COVID-19 is affecting the lack of staff.

"Our board is feeling the impact of the Omicron variant, and we have communicated with our families on several occasions that school closures due to COVID are a definite possibility," Stevenson said.

"We have asked them to be prepared just in case. We cannot say specifically how many of today's absences are related to COVID, but it's safe to assume it is a factor."

Stevenson said there is also a shortage of substitute teachers, which also played a role in the school's closure.

"There is not enough supply staff to adequately cover the absences. We have contingency plans in place to help cover classes and keep schools open."

"If the absences are too great and the coverage solutions are not adequate, we cannot provide the necessary supervision to open the school safely."

Stevenson said the school board would provide families with an update about the status of reopening by the end of the weekend.

"We will send an email to our families Sunday night to give them a sense of how it is looking, and then an email will be sent out on Monday morning by 6:30 to confirm one way or the other," Stevenson said.

After-school child care is not provided during school closures.

LITTLE TO NO NOTICE

When students returned to in-class learning after the extended winter break, school boards warned there could be closures with little notice due to staff shortages.

In January, the SMCDSB sent a note to parents stating, "If we cannot safely operate our schools due to significant staff shortages, we will be required to make last-minute decisions to close schools."

Parents were encouraged to "be prepared" with emergency child care provisions if there were last-minute closures.