Milpitas Unified closes campus, returns to virtual learning

Staffing shortages caused by Covid infections and quarantines are forcing Milpitas Unified School District to temporarily return to online learning Monday.

The district’s school board voted to close campuses until mid-January at a board meeting Thursday night, according to the Mercury News.

A letter to the school community from the office of Superintendent Cheryl Jordan said that there has been an “exorbitant” number of positive cases of Covid among students and staff, resulting in numerous quarantines.

The teacher absences left 167 classes without a substitute. Other teachers, principals, and district office staff filled in. In some cases classes had to be combined, according to the letter.

“While we are diligently recruiting substitutes, we are not able to fill the shortage,” said the letter. “Given the number of cases, the possibility of being in close contact with a positive case has increased.”

During the 10-day quarantine, students and their families are being asked not to travel or attend large gatherings so that students can return to school safely on Jan. 18.

Students should expect to go into virtual learning with the same schedule they had when on their campus. Parents will be required to sign a contract for independent study, according to the letter.