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Where are the teachers? COVID-19 slims staffing at St. Louis area schools

Whether sick themselves or caring for sick family, teachers among the absent from classrooms

ST. LOUIS — Where are the teachers? We know about the nationwide substitute teacher shortage, but now tenured teachers are absent from classrooms across St. Louis. 

"We have a lot of staff that is out right now with COVID-19, on quarantine and we will not be able to provide adequate services for students in the classes," Mary Ann Mitchell with the Edwardsville School District told 5 On Your Side earlier this week. 

Mitchell's district decided to go virtual for 6th to 12th grades this week due to staffing shortages and Edwardsville is not alone.

RELATED: 6th-12th grade students in Edwardsville school district to start semester remote-only

O'Fallon Township High School canceled the school day on Friday due to staffing shortages. The day would be treated like an emergency closure due to inclement weather, Superintendent Darcy Benway said.

"I think it's the same problem we're having across lots of industries," Paul Ziegler of Education Plus tells 5 On Your Side, "you know transmission right now is really surging."

Paul Ziegler has his finger on the pulse of the St. Louis schools scene. Education Plus is a cooperative of 54 school districts and six charter schools across the St. Louis region. 

"I've been meeting with superintendents now, going on 22 months every Wednesday morning," Ziegler explains. 

In talking with superintendents, Ziegler believes it's not burnout causing teachers to call out, but the fallout from Christmas. He said gatherings over the holidays helped spread the new variant and teachers weren't the only ones to catch COVID over the break.

 "We're certainly seeing increased rates of absenteeism with students and we do believe a lot of that's COVID related," Ziegler tells 5 On Your Side. 

Cases may not have even reached their peak in our area, so school staff are weary of what changes could be lurking in the next few weeks.

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