BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Bristol, Tennessee City Schools (BTCS) will be closed on the next three Mondays due to COVID-19 cases.
The school system announced Thursday that there will be no school on Monday, Jan. 24; Monday, Jan. 31; and Monday, Feb. 7.
BTCS said the surge of COVID-19 cases is causing staff shortages and a lack of access to COVID-19 testing.
“By closing on Mondays, part-time educational assistants will work full days on Tuesdays-Fridays of these weeks,” BTCS said in an announcement posted on the school system’s website. “This will allow us to maximize our coverage in classrooms using existing staff and utilize our subs four days per week instead of trying to cover five days.”
Katie Arnold, a Bristol Tn. Schools parent who also works as a substitute teacher, said the days off are needed because staff are getting stretched thin.
“Right now, our staff is weary. Our teachers are weary,” Arnold said. “They’ve been desperate and I’ve been called in and covered several different classes throughout the day. I knew something had to give.”
The school system said it will take this opportunity to disinfect schools.
More information is available on BTCS’s website.
