Trumbull Schools May Delay Reopening As Teachers Won't Return

TRUMBULL, CT – Trumbull schools may be forced to reopening this year, as nearly two dozen teachers have notified the district they are not returning this year and officials are scrambling to find replacements.

The information was shared at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, in which interim superintendent Ralph Iassogna said the district is still awaiting notice from staff members on whether they will be returning for the upcoming school year or whether they will be taking a leave of absence.

"As of today, our return numbers are OK," he said. "What's a serious concern, is the number of staff forms that have not been processed yet. "

As of Tuesday, there were approximately 20-25 staff members that will need replacements, Iassogna said. The number could reach 30, but likely would not exceed that. The district is currently reaching out to substitute lists, colleges and other list serves to find replacements.

There are six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school in the Trumbull school district.

"Worst case scenario is that not enough teachers return and substitutes are unavailable, we may have to consider another learning model," he said. "If you can't get teachers, you can't run hybrid or in-person learning."

Board member Jackie Norcel asked whether parents should be notified of the concerns that there is a possibility the school system may transition to all-virtual learning. Her concern for parents with a last-minute change centered on the difficulty of finding childcare for students learning remotely.

Iassogna said parents will be notified this week about the possibility of changes to the learning model.

The board may need to hold a special meeting next week to discuss replacements and the possibility of delaying re-opening, Iassogna said.

Trumbull schools plan to reopen on Sept. 8 with a hybrid learning model, where students are split into groups and learn in-person two days a week and remotely three days per week.

During public comments, resident Nick Banks referenced a recent survey taken by more than 400 Trumbull teachers. According to Banks, 97% of teachers would like students and staff to be required to wear masks and a majority of those surveyed do not want a reduction in social distancing within classrooms.

"The lack of communication, scheduling and information remains as one of the mitigations factors in establishing teachers' comfort levels returning to schools, as 71% of teachers indicated that they did not feel safe returning to in-person learning on Sept. 8," Banks said.

In response, the interim superintendent said the district has tried to communicate as transparently as possible during the changes and planning process.

"It is physically impossible to respond to all of the questions from the public," he said.