Springfield, Ohio — Horizon Science Academy Springfield on South Reynolds Road is usually packed with students on Fridays. However, the classroom was empty on September 2nd.

In a statement, the public charter school said it was unable to fully absorb the layoffs of five staff members and chose to use disaster days instead of doubling classrooms.

School representatives notified parents and staff via email and text early Friday morning, but some did not receive a note.The school also notified its Facebook page at 3:31 p.m. Thursday. posted.

One commented on the post that the parent was not contacted directly and the parking lot was full of angry parents.

Parents and staff are in a difficult situation. However, due to shortages of teachers and replacements nationwide, the school was unable to find enough staff to explain the cancellation.

Lori Leffert, Toledo Public Schools’ Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Management, said, “We are in a national crisis right now. The number of teachers entering the profession is dramatically decreasing.

Reffert said this was an unprecedented problem affecting nearly every school across the country. Several factors are involved, but increased pressure on teachers is a big one, she said.

“They’re stressed from home, they’re stressed from their community, they’re stressed from just the stories out there. It’s not good for them or for their students.

The problem is so acute nationwide that the White House is partnering with several job search firms to help school districts recruit and hire more teachers.

But for now, BGSU Dean of Education Dawn Shine said talent shortages are dire for the profession.

“This summer I got an email message from the superintendent looking for a second grade teacher,” she said. “There was a time when there were hundreds of applications for second-grade teachers.”

Horizon Academy said students and parents can expect schools to resume as normal on Tuesday.

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