WALES — All schools in Wales-based Regional School Unit 4 will be closed Wednesday due to staffing shortages across the district.

Too many staff are absent with COVID-19, with the flu, or are caring for family members who are sick for the already short-staffed district to have school, Superintendent Andrew Carlton said.

“We were at max capacity to try to cover everything, and then another person called out and we just couldn’t do it anymore,” Carlton said. “Every single department, food service, custodial, transportation, classroom teachers, administration.”

The district doesn’t even have enough staff to deliver meals on Wednesday, a requirement to hold classes whether remote or in-person.

“It was one of those deals where I can’t deliver (meals), I can’t have a school day,” he said.

Other schools, including Mt. Blue Middle School and Gray-New Gloucester middle and high schools have also gone remote this week due to staffing shortages.

“I hated to do what I did (Tuesday), but if you’re short staffed, if you don’t have people to cover things, you don’t have it,” Carlton said.

He is optimistic that if the district is unable to hold classes in-person Thursday, it will be able to deliver meals and have remote classes.

Carlton will send the school community an update Wednesday regarding school on Thursday. RSU 4 covers the towns of Litchfield, Sabattus, and Wales.

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