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Abilene Independent School District (AISD) announced Thursday evening that it is closing. The shutdown will be from Friday, January 14th through Tuesday, January 18th, 2022. Now, according to the latest news release, "the shutdown is all due to teacher and staff shortages all associated with the rapid spike of COVID-19 cases in the district and throughout the community."

The AISD will be completely closed until Wednesday, January 19th when classes are expected to return. That's according to Thursday evening's AISD social media and AISD.org website:

AISD Superintendent Dr. David Young Sent Parents This Alert.

Abilene ISD will be closed on Friday, through Tuesday, due to a staff shortage related to the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases in our district and community. We plan to reopen for in-person instruction on Wednesday, January 19. Our top priority is always to provide safe, productive, and healthy learning environments for everyone. There are currently too many campuses in the district that do not have the staffing or substitute personnel necessary to safely conduct appropriate academic instruction in our classrooms. We know this situation is not ideal for our students and families, but we are also hopeful that a temporary pause of in-person instruction will help slow the transmission of COVID-19 in our district. Remote instruction will not be provided during this temporary closure. Details about athletic events and extracurricular activities will be communicated by coaches and program sponsors. Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this situation together. We will continue to consult with local health officials to evaluate current conditions and make the best decisions for the health and wellness of our students, staff, and community. 

SOURCE: Abilene ISD Press Release 

Furthermore, Wylie Independent School District (WISD) alerted parents Thursday that although they have increased numbers, they are still able to carry on with regular school operations.

"Our top priority is always to provide safe, productive, and healthy learning environments for everyone. There are currently too many campuses in the district that do not have the staffing or substitute personnel necessary to safely conduct appropriate academic instruction in our classrooms."

Several Big Country school districts also announced closures because of a rapid spike in COVID-19 cases. In general, districts are using the downtown to allow students and staff to recuperate and do deep cleaning of facilities.

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Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

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