“We appreciate you, we care about you, we want to provide the best opportunity, the best climate we possibly can,” the superintendent said, according to an employee who attended the meeting. “So many people ask me each and every day how can we support and, I don’t know if you are religious or not, but we need your prayers. We need your prayers for our children and our families.”

But many staff members’ concerns were not assuaged by this.

“Everyone on the group text was like, What do you mean, pray? It’s not comforting by any means,” the teacher said.

“I love, love my job. But this? It’s not worth my life,” she continued. “I’m scared of getting sick and bringing it to my family. I’m scared of dying. I think we all are, you know?”