Trumbull district asking parents if they can substitute teach due to short staffing at COVID-impacted school

Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull will be closed for the rest of the month following a positive COVID-19 case.

News 12 Staff

Sep 17, 2020, 5:15 PM

Updated 1,486 days ago

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The Trumbull School District is asking for parents' help after a COVID-19 case forced the closure of Hillcrest Middle School.
On Thursday, the district asked for them to take on the role of substitute teachers because there are not enough substitutes to cover for the staff that is now in quarantine.
The superintendent sent out an email to parents and guardians around 11:30 a.m.
The subject line reads, "Help Make a Difference" and the first line asks, "Are you interested in helping the Trumbull Public Schools? Do you have your Bachelor's Degree? Please consider applying for a substitute teacher position in our district."
The email goes on to provide contact information and a link to apply.
It ends with, "We do have flexible options, so parents could substitute when their students are in school and be home when their children are remote learning."
The superintendent announced on Wednesday that Hillcrest Middle School would be closed the rest of the month with students transitioning to remote learning following the COVID-19 case.
The superintendent says after contact tracing, it was determined there weren't enough substitutes to cover for the staff who may have been exposed to the virus and now have to quarantine.
He stresses the Hillcrest building is safe and clean, but there would be more than 10 classrooms that would not have proper supervision if they tried to stay open.
Other school districts across the state are also running into similar issues. Some parents News 12 Connecticut spoke with off-camera said this is a very frustrating time for them.
Hillcrest Middle School is expected to reopen on Oct. 1, but the superintendent says it could re-open earlier if the district can find more substitute teachers.
For more information on how parents can apply, follow this link, or reach out to substitute coordinator Kathleen Oliver at koliver@trumbullps.org or at 203-452-4363.