COVID: Bay Area schools close due to staff shortages, high case rates

In the midst of a tumultuous back-to-school week underscored by numerous COVID-19 cases that have led to half-empty classrooms, administrators filling in for absent teachers and long testing lines, at least one large school district and some private and charter schools are closing temporarily, and others around the Bay Area are scrambling to keep classrooms open.

San Jose Unified and Palo Alto Unified schools, among others, are keeping classrooms open. But masses of students have already tested or are testing positive for the virus, and some parents are keeping their kids home to be safe, raising questions about what the future holds in districts across the Bay Area.

The district is continuing to test students and is working with the local health department on contact tracing. District officials are encouraging students and community members who are eligible to get vaccinated right away. PINOLE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 06: Students head to class after lunch at Collins Elementary School in Pinole, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2021. Due to the new wave of the COVID-19 omicron variant, the school will be closed on Friday and Monday.

Many families still don’t know how long their kids will be home if they test positive and how they’ll learn if more schools close. Others are supporting school leaders who have opted to close campuses and resume online learning before the COVID-19 omicron variant spreads any further. Saquindel said she is “scared about the spread of the virus” and worries that her kids will catch it if they go back to school but feels limited in her options and doesn’t want them to fall behind. She plans to keep them out of school when classes begin next week.

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