Dorchester District 4 switches to virtual learning because many of the teachers are infected with Covid-19 leading to staffing shortages

Dorchester County, South Carolina – Dorchester District 4 is the latest school district to join on the list of school districts that decided to switch to virtual learning because of the high number of positive cases in both students and school staff.

According to the Interim Superintendent Gerald Wright, Dorchester District 4 schools are switching to virtual learning starting Thursday and will last until January 20.

While all classes are planned to be held online, all the other school activities during this period are also cancelled.

Wright added that the decision stemmed mostly because the staffing shortage problem schools in the are face since a decent number of teachers are currently infected with Covid-19.

Local residents, Bracie Moore, has three children attending Woodland High School and she described what was happening in the last couple of days in the school.

“They have told me a couple of times that they didn’t have a teacher in the class because of shortages,” Moore said. “I mean, what can we do with that?”

According to Wright, the number of positive teachers and school staff is not the only problem the school district currently face. He added that there is increasing number of students getting infected with the virus and with virtual learning in place, he believes the spread will slow down among students and school staff.

He added that up until Wednesday, 300 students and 38 staffers are out because they tested positive or are in quarantine.

While school officials are having hard times to remain operational, some parents are asking for in-person classes claiming that it’s way better option compared to the virtual learning. One of them is Moore and this is what she had to say about this:

“Sending our kids to school and then pulling them out, sending them in, pulling them out, it’s complicated,” Moore said. “It’s hard on everybody.”