CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KDVR) — As omicron surges across Colorado, multiple school districts are now preparing for full or temporary remote learning. 

In Denver, 11 schools were under such precautions Tuesday, with two schools completely remote. It comes as hundreds of students and teachers test positive for COVID-19.

Tuesday, 125 Denver teachers were out sick with COVID. Another 358 students were out sick with positive COVID cases as well. 

“The impact on teachers is being asked to do more,” Rob Gould said. “The impact on students is that it makes it difficult for them to learn.”

Gould is a special education teacher in Denver and the current president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association. He says teachers want to be in the classroom, but the absences are putting those that remain in a difficult spot. 

“Our teachers are excited to be in the classroom, they want to be there,” he said. “What their concern is – when you’re being asked to do many things, like can you cover this class? Can you cover this lunch?” 

Tuesday night, the Douglas County School Board was set to begin discussions for a similar contingency plan, according to an agenda.

That agenda said the district will: “prepare to shift classrooms and/or school to short periods of remote learning in the case of significant operational impacts.”

An average of 357 Douglas County teachers have called out sick over the past week, with 322 out sick on Tuesday.

That left 16% of classrooms unfilled with substitutes, according to school board data. 

DCSDK12 is also now using seating charts in all classrooms, to help identify close contacts for quarantining if need be.