In a letter to parents, students and staff, Superintendent Douglas Killian said the district cannot effectively cover classes with the number of teachers currently available.
"We have had teachers and staff cover classes on their campuses and are having central administration staff work as substitutes again," Killian said in the letter. "Still, the staff shortage has overwhelmed the district to the point that this closure is necessary."
Killian stressed that the closure is not a break or holiday, encouraging students and staff to stay home.
"Remember, the last extended break led to this current surge," Killian said. "Please do not use this time to plan a trip or spend extended periods of time with people outside of your usual circle. The closure is intended to help mitigate the spread in our community and allow our staff to return from quarantine."
According to the letter, all high school UIL athletics and fine arts events will continue as scheduled, and the district will continue to limit capacity for those events.
Killian said while COVID-19 absences are a major contributing factor, the district is also feeling the more generalized staffing shortages affecting employers around the country.
"We currently have staff shortages in teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, educational aides [and other positions]," Killian said. "In my 30 years in education, this is the highest number of vacancies I’ve seen at this point in the school year. Despite our exhaustive efforts to recruit workers in the various areas, we’re just not seeing the applicants."
Information on volunteering or working as a substitute teacher is available on the district's website.
