LAUREL, DE - Laurel School District Superintendent Shawn Larrimore has announced an at-home learning day this week for students across the school district due to a large number of scheduled staff absences.
In a social media post Tuesday, Larrimore announced October 4th, 2024 would transition to at-home learning with teachers available by email. Larrimore says there are over 70 scheduled staff absences Friday along with 30 staff positions currently unfilled, necessitating the shift. That number of absences may continue to rise as the week progresses, according to Larrimore.
Laurel School District students will be given assignments to complete independently on Friday, Larrimore said.
“After careful review and discussion, we have determined that moving to an asynchronous model for this day is the best course of action to ensure that our students’ education remains uninterrupted while maintaining safety in our schools,” Larrimore said.
Larrimore went on to address why the school district was not denying staff absences, saying that educators also have personal and professional commitments. Laurel School District is also grappling with a nationwide staffing shortage and seeks to maintain morale and trust to maintain the district’s relationships with its staff, Larrimore said.
Larrimore insisted that Friday’s transition to asynchronous learning due to shortages was unique and not expected to happen again.
“We ask for your support and understanding as we take this proactive step,” Larrimore’s statement reads.
On Wednesday, WBOC spoke with some school district parents who raised concerns about the announcement.
"I'm not entirely sure how they had all those people off," says Whitney Schilling. "That's a little crazy to me, but they also don't have those positions filled, so what are they going to do?"
Parent Mindy Taylor says she thinks the issue is a disconnect between the district and its employees.
"I don't know if the district even asked the teachers what can we do to try and prevent this from happening," questions Taylor. "Is there some needs that we're not meeting that you feel need to be met?"
There's worry that there could be more at-home learning days due to staff shortages in the future.
"I'd rather have my kids in front of a teacher instead of at home learning off of a packet or a computer," says Schilling.
WBOC also reached out to Dr. Larrimore's office to get more answers, but Larrimore declined an interview.
