Students at Bridgeport Public Schools got an unexpected day off Monday amid concerns about COVID-19 exposure among teachers and staff.

Superintendent Michael Testani said in an email Sunday that teachers were becoming exposed to the virus at "out of school non-essential gatherings."

Bridgeport Education Association President Ana Batista says teachers she's heard from say they've been avoiding contacts with friends and family.

Testani has since apologized to staff, saying he didn't mean to paint with a broad brush.

The whole district is moving to remote learning starting next Monday.

Teachers will still be required to be in the buildings, which some aren't happy about. Testani says having the teachers report to their classrooms is the only way to ensure high-quality learning for all Bridgeport students.

He says the district hopes to be back on in-person learning by sometime in mid-January.

The district and the Bridgeport Education Association signed a bargaining agreement this summer. The document does allow the superintendent to require teachers to do their distance learning in school.