Mat-Su

Wasilla elementary school closes suddenly Friday due to staffing shortfall

PALMER — A Wasilla elementary school was closed Friday because a number of employees were out sick, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District officials say.

Iditarod Elementary officials announced the closure Thursday night.

The decision was made late Thursday after “it became clear we had staffing shortages especially in key positions to run the school,” district spokeswoman Jillian Morrissey said. She said the illness that led to the closure was not COVID-19.

Normally, an in-person school closure would trigger the use of remote learning. But Morrissey said the decision was made to close school altogether because it was the first week of classes and systems weren’t in place yet for remote learning.

An update was expected Sunday afternoon.

ADVERTISEMENT