Wednesday afternoon, Sealy ISD announced it will extend the Martin Luther King, Jr. long weekend two days as COVID-19 cases within the district are on the rise. Although Monday was already a scheduled day off, the announcement said schools will be closed Friday, Jan. 14, and Tuesday, Jan. 18.

As of Thursday afternoon, Jan. 13, there were 100 active cases listed on the rolling database of cases for the 2021-2022 school year. However, in a Wednesday message to parents, SISD Superintendent Bryan Hallmark said it wasn’t just the number of cases but the number of available substitute teachers that led to the decision.

“Our biggest challenge right now is covering classes. Our people are going above and beyond to keep us open but we have stretched as far as we can stretch at this point,” Hallmark said Jan. 12. “(Closing helps us) take advantage of the long weekend and gives ourselves five consecutive days to let this run its course a little bit. This proved to be a great strategy to get us back on track early in the fall and we believe it will help slow this thing down again.”

Hallmark said additional minutes were built into the school calendar so the two extra days off will not need to be made up. Student activities scheduled between Friday and Wednesday – outside of varsity-level competitions – have also been canceled but the superintendent was quick to ensure this wasn’t going to be the norm.

“I refuse to let this pandemic diminish the experiences and opportunities we give our students. We are going to pause for a few days and we will return on Wednesday in a much better position,” Hallmark said. “Some of our teams are in district play or gearing up for district play. We are not going to put them at a disadvantage by canceling their events as long as those teams remain healthy.”

The message closed by saying the student and staff testing center will remain open Friday and Tuesday and that buildings will be sanitized before the students return.

“If your student is in need of rapid testing, you can schedule an appointment by calling 979-987-3303. Additionally, all facilities will be deep cleaned and sanitized prior to students returning on Wednesday,” Hallmark said. “I know it is a huge burden for our families when we disrupt our routine. We just need a few days to break the virus’ momentum.”