Well-timed snow day: Mass absences among CMS teachers due to COVID
For many exhausted teachers and staff, Tuesday’s day off of school due to lingering ice on Charlotte-area roads is a reprieve as the district faces unprecedented absences and staff shortages.
Over the last week, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools again had hundreds of employees in week-long quarantines and even more students were ordered to stay home due to likely exposure to COVID-19. Student daily attendance has been down around 5% this month compared to before winter break.
According to CMS data released Monday, the number of new confirmed COVID cases among students — 2,212 — last week nearly doubled compared to early January, just after winter break. And more than 3,000 students are in quarantine, up from 2,000 the week before.
In addition, 688 staff last week were not in school due to quarantine measures and 606 staff reported positive coronavirus test results. The data covers the week of Jan. 10 to 16. Compared to the week prior, the number of staff in quarantine or reporting positive test results is slightly lower.
Because the new variant of the virus is more contagious, cases have surged nationally since December. But with many children and teens having protection from vaccines and illness from Omicron appearing to be less severe, many health leaders say schools should add safeguards but keep doors open.
Quarantine, under North Carolina rules for in-person learning, is generally required for five days for unvaccinated or unboostered (where eligible) children and adults, if they had close contact with someone with COVID. Anyone who tests positive for COVID is also made to quarantine for at least five days and can return to school, wearing a mask, if they have no symptoms.
‘They’re heroes’
District officials and employees say the widespread quarantines due to the surge in cases continues to cause a lot of problems in the classroom, on school buses and in the cafeterias.
Last Friday, the district’s communications team reported that staffing numbers are aligning with those “we have seen nearly every day in the two weeks since the return from winter break,” Vicki Grooms, of CMS communications, said.
▪ Substitutes filled 438 teacher spots — a significant shortfall from what was needed with 1,147 teacher absences that required getting a sub.
▪ Bus drivers absent or on leave totaled 131. Still, all routes were covered.
▪ More than 13% (125 of 907) of permanent cafeteria employees were absent, along with 27 of 116 temporary staff.
“I often see signs in front yards of folks that I know work in the health care industry that say ‘heroes work here,’” said CMS school board member Margaret Marshall. “We need to put that in every educator’s yard, every bus driver’s yard, every person who’s running masks to school, everybody who’s involved in education right now because they are heroes.
“Our heroes are pretty tired right now. We may be in the peak of this. But we don’t know. What we do know is that if we’re not in the peak of this, what we’re going through is frankly not sustainable. All schools need help right now.”
Cases in schools
Schools with the highest number of reported COVID cases last week were:
Ardrey Kell High (125)
Crestdale Middle (40)
Davidson K-8 (43)
Elizabeth Lane Elementary (44)
Hough High (58)
North Mecklenburg High (83)
Olympic High (45)
South Academy of International Languages (40)
South Mecklenburg High (48)
Stoney Creek Elementary (41)
Ardrey Kell had, by far, the highest number of people forced to quarantine — all of which due to positive cases among 110 students and 15 staff.
Just two schools reported clusters, which is similar to a suspected outbreak, meaning five or more people testing positive in a two-week period and transmission of the virus in their school is strongly suspected. CMS reports clusters, as of Monday, at Palisades Park Elementary and Garinger High.
This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 10:18 AM.
