GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Due to the rising local cases of coronavirus, the Green Bay Area Public School District is asking staff to work off-site if possible.
“I can tell you over the course of the past week an area of concern for us has been the increasing number of staff members that have been testing positive,” said Superintendent Stephen Murley.
While all students in the district have been learning from home since the beginning of the fall semester, some staff members such as teachers, principals and school secretaries have been working from the school buildings.
The district could not provide a specific number of teachers infected with COVID-19.
Murley says the decision to send teachers home is so essential staff can keep providing essential services.
“We were concerned we might not be able to continue our food services and we might not be able to clean and sanitize our buildings.”
Murley told FOX 11 several staff members were working from inside the building. Staffing levels at each building has varied since school started. Murley says almost all staff at Fort Howard Elementary had been working on-site.
“When you think about it most people prefer to work from work.”
And while it won’t matter where teachers are for most students, it will for others.
“Without face to face with the teacher it’s like starting over from scratch every couple of weeks,” said Amy Jo Timm.
Timm’s son received on site services at the Green Bay School’s west side hub for speech and occupational therapy.
Timm is also a clinical social worker and owner for Kismet Advocacy, a group to help those with high cognitive learning disabilities.
After Green Bay’s announcement of on-site services for special education services being paused, her group received many calls.
“My understanding is with my son that schools were doing a great job of limiting exposure,” said Timm.
Now she’s left to figure out what to do without face-to-face learning. Something she tells FOX 11 is essential to keep her son on track.
“knowing all of this is still difficult to manage in my home. I think the biggest issue is it going to be navigated for the special needs community or is it going to be forgotten.”
Murley said those services will be migrated to online. If they are unable to, they will temporarily suspend services until they return on site.
Staff will start working virtually Monday, October 5th for a minimum of two weeks.
Green Bay says the district will keep watching how COVID-19 spreads in the area. It will re-assess whether staff can return in two weeks.
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