How Beachwood Schools Will Handle Omicron Bus Staffing Shortages

BEACHWOOD, OH — As COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly throughout Northeast Ohio, the Beachwood Schools have released their plans to deal with possible omicron-related issues.

School districts, businesses, hospitals and other organizations have been battling mounting staffing issues due to upticks in COVID-19 cases. Superintendent Robert Hardis said before New Year's that the district has "more students, families and staff than ever before dealing with the impact of the omicron variant."

The Beachwood Schools extended their holiday break to wait on test results and further determine the extent of the virus' spread locally.

Here is the district's plan to handle new or continued staffing shortages and the virus' spread in different areas:

• Busing — If there is a lack of bus drivers due to COVID-19-spurred absences, an alternate bus routing plan will be implemented with fewer centralized stops. Routes will be longer and there will likely be delays, the district said. Students who arrive late to school will not be penalized.
  • If parents are able to drive or walk their students to school during that stretch, the district requests they do so.
• Lunches — Different strategies will be implemented at different schools.
  • Bryden and Hilltop — The number of students eating lunch in each classroom will be reduced by sending some students to eat in the cafeteria, in a socially-distanced setting. Students will continue to use plastic shield dividers wherever they eat lunch.
  • Beachwood Middle and Beachwood High — A third space will be added to the cafeteria and the community room and commons to increase distancing.
• Events — The number of spectators allowed at Beachwood School events will be reduced until at least Jan. 18. Participating students are allowed two guests per event.

"Thank you in advance for being patient as we navigate a few weeks of increased isolations of COVID positive students and staff. Staff absences are likely and will force us to operate flexibly," Hardis said in a message to the community on Dec. 28.