There will be no school for all Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 students on Friday, January 14. The District has announced that they will be using this day as one of the weather days built into their calendar. This is not a remote learning day – this is a no school day.
COVID numbers across the district are making it extremely difficult for USD 383 to maintain an adequate number of staff. On a typical 5-day school week, our district averages about 50 licensed staff absences per day, and out of those absences they average roughly 5 of those positions needing substitutes not being able to secure one. During the week of January 10, the district has averaged 85 licensed staff absences a day and short an average of 15 substitutes per day. Classified departments are also facing short staffing due to staff illness.
With the entire district short-staffed since winter break, and a recognition that high levels of performance are not sustainable under these conditions, the decision was made to provide all students and staff with a four-day weekend to hopefully get healthy.
Closing USD 383 schools on Friday, January 14 is a short-term sacrifice being made to increase the likelihood of keeping schools open for five days per week of in-person instruction in the future. The Disrict asked that you help them in this effort by staying home if you are ill, wearing masks, avoiding large crowds, and getting vaccinated (dose 1 and 2, and a booster if eligible).
All USD 383 schools will resume on Tuesday, January 18. Remember that Monday, January 17 is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.