Local News

Medford schools to close on Good Friday due to staffing shortages

Waves of educators have been calling out for religious reasons, taking sick days, and using their vacation time.

April 1, 2026 | 10:38 AM

2 minutes to read

There will be no school in Medford this Friday, April 3, due to a district-wide staffing shortage.

Superintendent Suzanne Galusi made the announcement after a wave of staff members called out, she said in a message to the school community Tuesday afternoon.

“Given the amount of reported absences across schools and departments, and the continued rate of which staff absences are being submitted, there will not be enough staff in any school building to safely and effectively support teaching, learning, and building operations for students,” she said.

Afterschool activities are also being canceled, but district and school offices will remain open on Friday in Medford.

Good Friday is on April 3, and Easter is on Sunday. Passover begins Wednesday.

School officials have been monitoring staff attendance on all religious holidays since the beginning of the current school year, Galusi said. Administrators held meetings with union leaders, but after these discussions, “absence totals continued to climb at an even higher rate,” she said.

This prompted a message to the school community last Friday warning that such a cancellation might be necessary. Galusi said in that message that staff members were calling out for religious observances, taking sick days, taking vacation time, or citing personal reasons for their absences on April 3.

The Medford Teachers Association said Wednesday morning that it was planning to issue a statement in response to the news.

The schedule for the end of the school year is being adjusted due to the cancellation, as the district must legally make up the missed day. June 22 and 23 will be full school days, while June 24 and 25 will be early release days. Roberts Elementary School will have an early release on June 26, as a makeup for a school day in December that was canceled due to a norovirus outbreak.

School vacation is still scheduled for the week of April 20.

“We recognize that unexpectedly canceling school creates real challenges for students and families,” Galusi said. “In the coming weeks, the district will be further reviewing our current policies and procedures relating to the school calendar and the use of religious holidays to ensure we can best support our students and Medford community.”