Omicron surge forces Hamilton and Fremont Community Schools to switch to E-Learning

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) - Schools across Northeast Indiana are moving to E-Learning as COVID-19 cases surge.

Students in Hamilton community schools and Fremont community schools are learning from home this week.

“Since Christmas I’ve talked to our nurse,” Fremont Superintendent William Stitt said. “We’ve had a ton of positive cases and we had so many cases yesterday that we can’t even begin to see who the close contacts are.”

Stitt says the beginning this semester has been stressful because of COVID-19 cases. He says it’s so bad students will not be back in the classroom until Monday at the earliest.

“I’m in charge of all of them and I want to keep them as safe and healthy as I possibly can,” Stitt said.

Stitt says custodians have been hard at work making sure schools are sanitized. However, Fremont isn’t the only district hit hard by COVID cases. Hamilton Community Schools students and staff are out this week too.

“Sometimes you just need to hit reset and take a break,” Hamilton Community Schools Superintendent Tony Cassel said.

Cassel said he’s known for weeks that this could be a possibility.

“I thought there was a good chance since people get together especially since it spreads with this variant,” Cassel said.

However, both Stitt and Cassel say knowing the memories that are missed, doesn’t make it any easier.

“Those seniors didn’t get to attend a senior prom and for some it’s no big deal, but for a senior going to their senior prom is a big deal,” Stitt said. “So we want to be able to give those opportunities to our kids.”

Cassel agrees and says both teachers and students have done well adapting throughout all of the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

“Our teachers are doing a great job of trying to get information out and for our students it’s stressful for them,” Cassel said.

As students stay home this week, leaders at both districts say brighter says are ahead.

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