SANDWICH – The Sandwich School Committee offered a COVID-19 update at a recent meeting, including how schools are dealing with staffing issues from the virus.
Superintendent of Sandwich Public Schools Dr. Pamela Gould provided some insight on what strategies the district has been using to keep up with COVID-related staff absences.
Gould said at the secondary level, teachers willing to work an extra period for coverage reasons get paid an additional $20.
At the elementary level, schools have been using paraprofessionals to cover shifts.
The superintendent also said that college students returning to the town for the summer may also help with some staffing needs to get the district through the end of the school year.
The update comes after Barnstable High School had to recently send students home early one day due to a lack of staffing from COVID-19 infections and symptoms, as well as other reasons.
“We’re thankfully not there, but you’re one little outbreak away from something happening, but we’ve been scrimping along,” Gould said.
The superintendent said she did not think it was time to return to enforcing mandatory masks for the schools.
“There are some districts I know that are putting masks optional or masks mandatory. I don’t think we’re there and I don’t think there’s a big appetite for that right now,” she said.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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