Students at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady got an early start to the weekend on Friday.

“We’re just trying to get to some kind of normalcy and then we have this,” said parent Estelle Tanner.

She left work early Friday morning to come pick up her twin sons from the middle school. Tanner’s two six graders and hundreds of other student were dismissed early, an unscheduled half-day, due to a staff shortage at the school.


What You Need To Know

  • According to a district spokesperson, 17 teachers called out sick

  • The district was not able to get enough substitute teachers for the day

  • Mont Pleasant school officials are planning for a regular school day with in-person learning for Monday

“We are now starting to get back into full work. Some parents do not work from home,” Tanner said. “You got to think of parents. This is an inconvenience to these poor children.”

According to a district spokesperson, 17 teachers called out sick. Most of the calls came in Friday morning, leaving the district little time to find the necessary coverage, according to the spokesperson.

School officials were not able to get the substitute teachers needed, which led to the early dismissal.

“I know everybody can get sick, but for everybody to call out on one day,” asked Julia Melvin. She came to pick up her granddaughter at the request of her daughter.

Melvin found out about two hours before dismissal. She says this is the first and is hoping the last time this happens this school year.

“It’s a little inconvenience because it’s raining out and I have two little ones that I have to take care of as well. But the other schools, there’s a third one, but he’s still in school. Thank goodness they didn’t have a half day,” Melvin said.

The other schools in the Schenectady City School District were not affected. A spokesperson says the sick calls were not COVID related.

Right now, Mont Pleasant school officials are planning for a regular school day with in-person learning for Monday.