Upper Perkiomen School District Cancels Classes Friday After Staff Members Call Out Sick Due To Vaccine Reactions
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- All five schools in the Upper Perkiomen School District closed Friday after dozens of staff members called out sick. The superintendent says so many staff members called out because of reactions to recent COVID vaccinations.
"I'm disappointed, I did not want to make this call at all," Superintendent Dr. Allyn Roche said.
Roche called a "functional closure" for Friday, meaning both in-person and virtual learning had been canceled for the day because 40 teachers and other staff called out sick.
"We made the call at 10 o'clock at night, having a strong feeling that it was gonna get worse and that would have been probably worse for families at 5:30 to figure those things out," Roche said.
Friday's sickout comes after 175 staff members in the school district received the COVID vaccine on Wednesday from the Montgomery County intermediate unit.
"I feel bad for all our families and specifically our students who are off today on a snow day or traditional day off," Roche said.
These kids from the district didn't seem to mind the unexpected day off.
"I was happy. Because then you can play with your friends and just do fun stuff," sixth-grader Keyleigh Kein said.
Meantime, the Lower Moreland Township School District in Montgomery County announced Friday some on staff are getting their second COVID shots this Sunday, so on Monday, two schools will go virtual at staggered times.
Meantime, the Upper Perkiomen superintendent says, come Monday, his staff will be ready.
"Kinda learn from this, it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to have that many people participate in that," Roche said.
The superintendent also says the district will use its third emergency day already built into the calendar.