Students, staff will have weeklong Thanksgiving break
The board of education on Wednesday approved a calendar amendment and incentives to attract and retain substitutes at District 32 to address ongoing unpaid staff labor concerns.
Classes have been cancelled for Monday, Nov. 22 and Tuesday, Nov. 23, which creates an extended Thanksgiving break. There is no school Monday-Friday, Nov. 22-26.
“This is a balancing of the books, if you will, for our staff who have been working a great deal of unpaid time,” said Superintendent Andy Comstock. “We are currently experiencing a severe shortage of substitutes — only 39% of requested sub hours are being filled. That means that our staff is filling 61% of vacancies. This affects all of us — classroom teachers, our office workers, our bus drivers and cooks, which means that it impacts our students as well.
“The board extended the Thanksgiving Holiday to include Monday and Tuesday to our staff to send the message that our community sees the dedication and love our staff pour into their work, and that it is appreciated.
“At a recent MSBA/MASA conference, the big message was that we are not alone,” Mr. Comstock said. “All of the school leaders were sharing the same challenges and concerns that we face here in Southeast Missouri. Sub shortages, driver shortages, staff burnout — these are national issues. I am grateful that our board is taking steps to address this issue.”
Mr. Comstock acknowledged that calendar amendments can be difficult for families. “As a dad, I fully understand that it’s not easy for parents to rearrange schedules,” he said. “The board weighed that concern heavily while making the decision. This unrelenting lack of subs across the district has stretched our educational system in ways we’ve never seen before; we all hope that this extended holiday helps students and staff come back refreshed and ready to finish the first semester strong.”