With the 2020 March declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal in the teaching profession was turned upside down with state mandated school closures, changes in instructional delivery, and social isolation. As a result of this educational disruption, as well as new extreme health risks, teacher stress and concern for their well-being increased significantly (Rand Corporation, 2021). Using the theoretical framework of systems theory and purposive sampling, a non-experimental secondary source research study was done with Illinois and Iowa K-12 school superintendents. An online survey collected 2020-2021 district data pertaining to teacher absenteeism, their use of various leaves, resignations, and retirements as these were all means available to teachers as they sought to cope with the pandemic-related stressors and their own well-being. This study also investigated how teacher absences impacted superintendent perception of district morale for the 2020-2021 school year as well as if there was any significant association between the superintendents' state location and their perceived district morale for the 2020-2021 school year. There was an overall population of 694 superintendents, with a sample return rate of 21.61% (N = 150), and data is reported using combined group response. Study findings show: 1) Many teachers used all types of the leaves available to them with some also choosing to resign and retire; 2) superintendents (69%) agreed or strongly agreed that their district morale was lower than it was pre-pandemic; 3) a Pearson's Chi-Square test showed there was no statistically significant association between state location and superintendents' perceptions of lower district morale during the pandemic; and 4) an additional Pearson's Chi-Square test showed there was no statistically significant association between state location and superintendents' perceptions of higher district morale during the pandemic. These findings make a noteworthy contribution to the literature pertaining to university educational leadership preparation programs as they underscore the need for their curricula to prepare aspiring leaders to be more than managers and instructional leaders. In addition, this study adds to the understanding of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on perceived district morale and the importance of effective leadership to be able to address the pandemic's enduring impacts. It is imperative for future leaders to be well-versed in caring for teacher well-being and teaching adult social and emotional competencies, while role modeling trauma-informed care.