KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — The South Kitsap School District has announced that schools will be closed for several days due to the pandemic.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Tim Winter said there have been critical levels of staff absences and spiking COVID-19 activity in the school community.
There will be no classes on Jan. 14, 17, and 18. Schools were already scheduled to be closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Officials said students will return to in-person learning on Wednesday, Jan. 19, with a late start schedule.
As for the two days missed, those could be made up at the end of the school year but the district officials said they plan to request waiver days from the state.
The letter stated in part: “We are focused on keeping students on campus this school year for in-person instruction. However, we cannot safely operate school with the current level of staff absences.”
The superintendent said the district has looked at all possible scenarios to shift staff and substitutes to cover nearly 200 vacancies. However, he said a short-term closure will support keeping campuses open in the long term.
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