Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

North Texas Districts Extend Long Weekend Amid COVID, Staff Shortages

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/21/22

Several North Texas school districts cancelled school on both ends of the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, citing staff shortages and a surge in COVID-19 cases. School leaders are hoping the time off will allow students and teachers who have recently tested positive to safely quarantine and recover, according to local news reports.

Mansfield Independent School District and Northwest Independent School District, both in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, have announced that all their campuses will be closed through Tuesday, Jan. 18. The nearby Mesquite and White Settlement districts will be closed through Wednesday, Jan. 19.

According to The Dallas Morning News, more than 15% of the Mesquite ISD staff has been absent. “The strain of covering classes in the midst of a severe substitute shortage has taken a tremendous toll on our staff members who are able to report to work, but our ability to safely monitor students in our care is quickly becoming unmanageable,” said district officials on the Mesquite ISD website.

Likewise, White Settlement ISD Superintendent Frank Molinar recently wrote a letter to families explaining that more than 150 district staff members out of a total of 825 have been out due to COVID-19 exposure, illness or because their own children’s day cares have closed. “All available personnel are being utilized to cover classes and staff who are out; however, the rising staff absentee rates are making this increasingly difficult to provide adequate staffing,” wrote Molinar.

Several other nearby districts—including Argyle ISD, Boyd ISD, Red Oak ISD, Kemp ISD and Pilot Point ISD, among others—also cancelled classes last Friday, Jan. 14.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Florida District Completes Construction on New Leadership Institute

    Pinellas County Schools near Tampa, Fla., recently announced that construction is complete on the new Dr. Michael A. Grego Leadership Institute, according to a news release. The district partnered with Rowe Architects for the project’s design and with Skanska for construction services.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.