As a substitute teacher shortage continues to plague school districts on Long Island, the Sag Harbor School District on Monday hired five more substitutes, and continues to seek more candidates.
Jeff Nichols, the superintendent, said the district was "precariously close" this week to not having enough staff to operate Pierson Middle and High School, though the situation was slightly less dire at the elementary school.
"As the number of cases increases, and if indeed they do increase and the number of teachers required to quarantine increases, there comes a point where it's no longer feasible to remain open," he told the school board on Monday. "Thankfully, we haven't crossed that threshold yet, but I want the board to be aware. Post-Christmas break, there is a likelihood that virus transmission will increase due to travel and everything that happens over Christmas break."
As of Monday, the district had at least 13 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed among students and staff members. Four Pierson students were out with Covid-19 and three more were awaiting test results. Fifty-nine students were out of school on quarantine, including 42 who were exposed to Covid-19 in school, nine who were exposed outside of school, and one who had traveled recently. Ten Pierson teachers were working remotely, in addition to the seven who normally do so because of health accommodations. At the elementary school, two teachers were working through a quarantine and eight were working remotely as per their usual arrangements.
Even three or four cases in a single school building could shut down the entire building, Mr. Nichols said. "This is something we'll have to deal with in live time as we go through the winter."
Two More Nurses Hired
The Sag Harbor School District on Monday also hired two registered nurses, each at a salary of $50 per hour. Mr. Nichols said they would be called into action should the school have to institute a Covid-19 testing plan to stay open.
The school board approved the appointment of Kelly DeSesa, the wife of Brian DeSesa, the board president, by a 6-to-1 vote, with Mr. DeSesa abstaining. Molly McLaughlin was also hired for the same position and was unanimously approved.