FINCASTLE, Va, – High COVID-19 transmission rates in the Botetourt County community are forcing school officials to figure out a way to combat a shortage of teachers and available substitutes.
Botetourt County Public Schools announced Thursday that it will implement early student dismissals on Wednesday starting Oct. 20 through the last week of the semester on Dec. 15.
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“We are making this change to our school calendar to provide staff with additional time to address these unique circumstances. I sincerely thank you for your understanding, flexibility, and efforts to support our remarkable instructional staff” Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Russ said in a statement to the community.
Russ also said because of the lack of available substitutes, other “teachers have been covering classes during their planning periods while balancing an increased workload to keep their in-person and remote learners on track.”
When students return from winter break for the spring semester on Jan. 5, officials said the schedule will return to normal and they are currently not planning on adjusting dismissal times. However, they said they may have to reevaluate based on the schools’ COVID and quarantine numbers.