Pike, Warren schools pivot to virtual learning as staffing shortages continue

School districts across the state and the country are struggling to find enough staff members to keep school buildings open as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Two of Marion County’s 11 school districts switched to remote learning for at least part of this week due to staff illnesses.

Pike Township schools announced early Monday morning that all students will continue to learn remotely through Wednesday. This comes after the district was forced to offer virtual-only classes last week because they could not provide transportation to all students due to a lack of bus drivers and staff.

Warren Township schools also announced similar changes Thursday as students in grades 5-12 pivoted to remote learning. Those grade levels will continue online learning for the reminder of this week.

According to Warren Township’s COVID-19 tracker, 312 students and staff tested positive for COVID-19 last week after returning from winter break. The district reported 924 student and staff isolations — people who were absent from school because they either had COVID-19 or were a close contact.

School districts in Indiana are struggling to continue in-person learning as the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19 continue to surge across Indiana. More than 15,000 cases were reported to the Indiana Department of Health last Thursday — more than 80 percent higher than the peak in winter 2020. 

Warren Township will provide grab-and-go meals for students on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Stonybrook, Creston and Raymond Park Intermediate Middle Schools, as well as Renaissance School and Warren Central High School. Students do not need to be present for parents or guardians to pick up meals.

Pike Township’s Nathaniel Jones Early Learning Center will remain open. The district will provide an update on Wednesday about when in-person classes could resume.

Contact WFYI education reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at egabriel@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @_elizabethgabs.