A growing shortage of available teachers because of leave requests and other “workplace accommodations” from the coronavirus has prompted the Freehold Regional High School District to begin the school year entirely online.
The Asbury Park Press reports that the district's decision is a switch from its initial plan to have a hybrid schedule that would rotate students between in-person and virtual classes each day.
Superintendent Charles Sampson has sent a note to parents explaining that students would have to take classes at home when instruction starts Sept. 10.
“Unfortunately, a significant number of employee workplace accommodations and leave requests will not allow us to adequately staff our buildings in a manner that provides for effective teaching and learning to occur in our hybrid schedule,” Sampson wrote. “This means the Freehold Regional High School District will begin our school year on September 10, 2020, using the all students remote schedule.”
At least 250 of the district's 1,300-person teaching staff have requested either a leave of absence or some other accommodation, mostly because of coronavirus concerns.
"As neighboring districts move to a full remote schedule, the number of our employee requests...has increased exponentially," the superintendent wrote. "We now face a staffing challenge making opening in the Hybrid Schedule impossible at this time."
