Watch CBS News

Western Michigan District Cancels School Until Nov. 16

NEWAYGO, Mich. (AP) — A school district in western Michigan is shutting down until Nov. 16 because of COVID-19, other illnesses, and staff absences.

The Newaygo district is in Newaygo County, about 40 miles north of Grand Rapids. It has approximately 1,500 students.

"Everything just lined up in a way that we had to make the decision to close for the rest of the week," Superintendent Jeff Wright told WZZM-TV. "We had a number of staff out for a variety of reasons — illnesses, yes, including COVID. Yes, some personal illnesses.

"And some of our staff were out for other reasons," Wright said.

He said there weren't enough substitute teachers to fill the gap. A school day doesn't count if a school can't meet a 75% student attendance threshold.

Monday, Nov. 15, was already scheduled as a day off. The lost days will be treated as snow days.

© 2021 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.