C.C. Carrothers Public School in London, Ont. shifts to remote learning because of staffing issues

Another school in London, Ont. has been shut down to in-person classes because of staffing issues related to COVID-19.

Late Thursday evening, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) announced C.C. Carrothers Public School students would shift back to remote learning for Friday.

In-person classes will resume Wednesday, Feb. 2.

The Ministry of Education’s new attendance website shows C.C. Carrothers has a 30 percent staff and student absenteeism rate.

TVDSB Associate Director of Education Riley Culhane says the closure relates to unwell teachers and support staff, though he cannot confirm how many of those absences relate to COVID-19.

"So in terms of school staffing, including the school closure at C.C. Carrothers, these closures are related to staff shortages in our schools," he said.

"Certainly there are some absences among students, but that is not the driving factor in terms of the decisions that we made to transition the school remote learning.”

Teachers were getting in touch with families to discuss the transition.

Nearby Princess Elizabeth Public School also moved to online learning earlier this week. In-person classes are set to resume there on Monday.

These are the only two schools to close their doors in London since in-person learning resumed this month.

Soon, parents concerned about safety will have the option to choose to self-report if their child has been tested positive for the virus.

Culhane explainsed, “Students being able to self-report a positive COVID case and that information would be posted on our board website.”

- With files from CTV News London's Sean Irvine