HELENA — Townsend Public Schools has called a special school board meeting to address the number of students and staff that are currently out of school related to COVID-19.
According to the Nation Center for Education Statistics, Townsend K-12 Schools has around 640 students.
Superintendent Susie Hedalen told parents in a letter Tuesday that the school currently has 162 student absences related to COVID. There are 115 absences reported in grades K-6, 27 in grades 7 and 8, and 20 in grades 9-12.
“Many employees and students are vaccinated; however, both are still testing positive, requiring a ten-day quarantine. Unfortunately, the school has been required to quarantine classrooms, teams, staff and groups of students of various ages. We have all been working hard to pitch in and deal with staffing shortages and have not had to close any schools or grade levels due to being short-staffed, but we have come close.,” wrote Hedalen in her letter to parents.
The school district reports seven staff are absent from the school related to COVID-19.
The special school board meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at the school.