Montgomery Public Schools may call off school Friday for 28,000 students in Alabama’s capital city because of a surge of teachers, support staff and bus drivers asking for the day off.
Alabama State University kicks off its homecoming football game at 11:05 tomorrow morning.
“Due to rescheduled Alabama State University Homecoming events and potential weather impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias, Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) is closely monitoring district operations for Friday, October 9,” the district posted on its website Wednesday evening.
“We are currently seeing a significant increase in employee leave requests across teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and other personnel,” the notice continued. “Our substitute staffing vendor is experiencing a high volume of requests and limited coverage. Adequate staffing is critical to maintaining a safe, secure, and productive learning environment for our scholars. District leadership is actively evaluating staffing coverage across all campuses.”
RELATED: As hurricane watch covers the Alabama coast, Governor Ivey issues state of emergency in 40 counties
The notice gave no number of employees asking off.
MPS promised families and staff “an official update no later than 12:00 p.m. tomorrow, October 8, regarding any adjustments to school schedules or operations.” A noon Thursday decision would give parents less than a day to line up child care.
Alabama State moved the game against Florida A&M from Saturday to Friday morning at ASU Stadium because of Isaias and canceled Friday classes on campus.
Governor Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 counties, Montgomery County included, with forecasts showing the storm could reach Alabama as a hurricane as early as Friday.
MPS marked Attendance Awareness Month in September and told students to “Be Present. Be Prepared. Be Productive.”
The district was leaning on substitutes before this week.
MPS hired nearly 600 new employees for this school year and admitted last month that some of them started work before their background checks cleared, a lapse it called a “procedural oversight.”
Up to roughly 60 were placed on paid administrative leave, and substitutes covered for them.
MPS fills substitute jobs through SPUR, an outside staffing company.
Ozella Ford, the district’s associate superintendent of human resources, resigned days later.
“I also know the reality of schools that have struggled for years to maintain consistent classroom instruction,” Ford wrote in a Facebook statement announcing her resignation.
Superintendent Zickeyous Byrd, hired by the Montgomery County Board of Education on a narrow vote in April 2025, leads the district.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
