Without additional help, next year’s shortfall may approach the worst-case scenarios — in the $40 million range — that were evaded this year only because of a cash infusion from the state.
As quarantines and cold and flu symptoms are increasingly keeping teachers at home for days or weeks at time, administrators say they’re struggling to maintain operations.
The surge in cases at the college is among 52 new cases of the virus reported in Vermont this weekend.
The updated guidance now defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
The Union Elementary cases have been cited by state health officials as the first case of within-school transmission of the virus.
Contract tracing is underway and school officials are meeting with the Vermont Health Department.
Kurn Hattin officials have acknowledged that abuse took place at the school many decades ago, and in July even announced they would launch their own investigation into the matter. But survivors and their attorneys argue the school has not truly accepted responsibility for its failings, and is ignoring much more recent incidents of abuse.
“I had no idea that, if I was teaching and a student in my room tested positive, I would not be considered a close contact, and I would not be given the ability to stay home and stay safe,” one teacher said.
Also Monday, the Montpelier-Roxbury School District reported four new cases of the virus at Union Elementary School in Montpelier. The new cases are all in the same classroom as the two cases reported by the school last week.
Families are sometimes surprised by the visitors — staff usually make their first visit, after all, if they haven’t been able to reach parents by other means. But school employees make it clear they’re there to offer help, not dole out discipline or reprimands.
‘With the amount of stuff we are juggling, it feels like it’s impossible to always kind of keep your head above water. So even if we’re doing our best, we’re still dropping balls left and right,’ said one teacher.
Burlington Superintendent Tom Flanagan said Wednesday that the district will probably spend between $350,000 and $400,000 to temporarily rehome the tech center’s roughly 250 students.
Contact tracing was being done at both schools by the Vermont Department of Health.
At Growing With Wonder, a clear runny nose that needs to be wiped only five times or fewer in half an hour can stay. The rest go.