Clark County School District officials hope it’s the “pause” that refreshes.
The district ordered a halt in classes from today through Tuesday to deal with a staffing shortage and other issues surrounding the latest COVID-19 spike, which led to greater staff and student absences.
“We looked at the number of individuals who have tested in the past week as well as our vacancies, and really made the decision collectively,” said Monica Cortez, the district’s assistant superintendent for student services.
The goal of the pause, she told State of Nevada, is “to ensure we are able to give our students the best learning environment and that our staff has an opportunity to get healthy.”
School Board President Irene Cepeda said she understands the disappointment some families feel with classes suddenly being put on hold at the start of the spring term.
“The frustration is real,” she said. You “definitely don't want to sugarcoat that. These are unpopular decisions (that) cause discomfort across the valley.”
She added that she is heartened by the support the move has drawn and “thankful for the flexibility of our community, our community leaders, and our staff.”
During the pause, students will miss two days of classes that will be made up in February and April.
More information:
- A Clark County School District fact sheet about the COVID pause can be found here.
- The district will be answering questions from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Tuesday by calling 702-799-6632 or through the Internet here and here.
Irene Cepeda, president, Clark County school board; Monica Cortez, assistant superintendent for student services, Clark County School District
