In person classes are canceled next Thursday for students in the Monroe County Community School District.
It will be an elearning day. Teachers will provide self-paced independent lessons for students to complete.
Thursday, April 13 is The Indiana State Teachers Association’s Pack the State House event, where educators and public school advocates will rally, asking lawmakers to prioritize public school funding and address the teacher shortages.
Superintendent Jeff Hauswald said more than half of the district’s teachers requested a substitute so they could go to the rally, and in-person instruction can’t be carried out safely.
In a letter to MCCSC parents, Hauswald apologized for any inconvenience. He said the root cause for the change in instruction is not teachers, but a lack of legislative support to address teacher shortages and support public education.
Read more: Public school enrollment up slightly, still down from 2019
Hauswald’s letter says lawmakers proposed 2-year education budget doesn’t keep up with inflation. The budget draft provides a 5 percent increase over the next two years.
"In the most recent House budget, we know that our last 12 month inflationary rates are approximately 6 percent," he said. "And so the two year increased education is 5 percent. So that means that whatever next year's inflationary rates are, you could add a percent. And that's how much more we're going to fall behind. And I think that we can't continue down this path.”
MCCSC has conducted asynchronous eLearning instruction days before, but not at a district-wide level.
Students can pick up a breakfast and lunch that day at Templeton Elementary.
