More Cincinnati-area schools close, going remote amid COVID-19 surge

More and more Cincinnati area schools and school districts are going back to remote learning amid a COVID-19 surge, fueled by the omicron and delta variants.Staffing shortages are a primary factor for most schools.”We are seeing increases in staff absences. We’re committed to not making decisions too quickly on that, but on watching on a school-by-school basis making decisions individually,” said newly-elected Cincinnati Public Schools Board President Bent Lindy.Below is a working list of schools and school districts returning to remote learning, and dates when they plan to return to in-person learning. The below list is in alphabetical order. Did we miss a school? Email us with the details at [email protected]. CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS: All district schools will move to remove until Jan. 24 due to staffing shortages. Students will return to school on Jan. 24 if staffing is sufficient, according to the CPS Board of Education.COVINGTON INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Covington Independent Public Schools will be closed all schools for the rest of the week last week due to the high number of staff members who have COVID-19. The school district was planning to return to class on Monday, Jan. 10, however, the district decided to remain closed to in-person instruction for a second week. Students will do remote learning Tuesday through Friday. They will be off on Jan. 17 for the MLK holiday and are expected to return to school on Jan. 18FOREST HILLS SCHOOLS: Forest Hills Local School District will do a day of remote learning Tuesday, Jan. 18, due to staff shortages and COVID-19 cases. That’s the day after the scheduled four-day break for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. GALLATIN COUNTY SCHOOLS: Gallatin County Schools in Northern Kentucky will be closing the rest of the week due to the number of staff members absent related to COVID-19 and other illnesses. The days off this week will not be NTI days. The school district hopes to return on Jan. 18.HAMILTON CITY SCHOOLS: Officials with Hamilton City Schools announced Tuesday that they will close for the remainder of the week due to staffing shortages. In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, school officials said that 170 staff members were out, forcing the district to cancel classes — starting Wednesday. “Hamilton City Schools and other local businesses and school districts have been negatively impacted by staff illness,” a statement from the district reads in part. “Staff illness has reached a critical level where staffing classrooms is no longer possible. Due to this challenge, Hamilton City Schools will be closed for students, and no remote learning will be required on the following dates.”LEBANON CITY SCHOOLS: High school will move to remote learning beginning Jan. 13 through Jan. 21. Masks will be required for the entire district beginning Jan. 12.LITTLE MIAMI SCHOOLS: All Little Miami school buildings will be closed for the rest of the week, Wednesday through Friday, due to staff shortages with Little Miami Transportation. No remote learning will take place. Extracurricular activities and athletics will continue as scheduled. Classes will resume on Tuesday.LOCKLAND LOCAL SCHOOLS: Lockland Local Schools will remain on a remote learning model due to a high number of staff members that are either ill, in quarantine or awaiting test results at this time. Schools will resume in person learning on Jan. 18.LOVELAND SCHOOLS: Loveland City Schools will be switching to remote learning Thursday, Jan. 13 and Friday, Jan. 14 due to rising COVID-19 cases. Students will return to in-person learning Jan. 18. MT. HEALTHY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT: There will be no classes for students on Jan. 7. Beginning Jan. 10 through Jan. 21, the district will shift to remote learning. Students will return to the classrooms for in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 24.NEW RICHMOND SCHOOLS: All New Richmond Schools will be switching to remote learning through the rest of the week due to a shortage of bus drivers. The school said the staffing situation in their transportation department has worsened, causing them to switch to remote learning.NORTH COLLEGE HILL CITY SCHOOLS: NCH High School and Middle School shift to remote learning for the remainder of this week, through Jan. 14. Students will return to in person on Tuesday, January 18th. NCH Elementary will remain in person.READING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: The district will be switching to remote learning on Wednesday, January 12, and Thursday, January 13. “We anticipate returning to in-person learning on Tuesday, January 18. A district message was recently emailed to families with more details. Building principals will be communicating additional information regarding remote learning. Building offices will remain open during regular school hours throughout the week,” a statement from the district reads. TALAWANDA MIDDLE SCHOOL: Talawanda Middle School will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, school officials announced. Currently, 14 middle school staff members are absent, school officials said, and there are not enough substitutes to operate the school safely. Also, the school has a 29.5% student absentee rate, with102 students absent Monday, and 207 students absent on Tuesday.WINTON WOODS CITY SCHOOLS: Students at Winton Woods will be following a remote learning plan through Jan. 24 due to a high number of student and staff absences. Staff will work remotely, beginning on Jan. 10 to Jan. 14. Staff will return in person on Jan. 18. Beginning Jan. 10, students will be engaged academically following the asynchronous education plan of action. Beginning the week of Jan. 18, all students will be following the synchronous plan. All athletic competitions will be held without fan attendance in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

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