Many members of our school community are wondering if the district plans on returning to full-time face-to-face instruction before the end of the 2020-21 school year.
After careful consideration, district officials have decided to move forward with a phased return, beginning with students in grades 7-10. The timeline for this process is as follows:
- March 1, 2021: students in grades 7 and 8 begin daily in-person instruction.
- March 16, 2021: students in grade 9 begin daily in-person instruction.
- March 29, 2021: students in grade 10 begin daily in-person instruction.
We will continue to report positive COVID-19 cases daily to the state Department of Health’s COVID Report Card dashboard, contact trace, as directed by our local health officials and notify families of any possible exposure to COVID-19.
As we phase into daily in-person instruction for all students, we will continue to monitor the following:
- Space requirements for maintaining social distancing when there are larger class sizes: We are committed to following safety guidelines during daily in-person instruction. In some classes, we are making arrangements for more seating and, if needed, a class may meet in a larger classroom space.
- The number of positive COVID-19 cases that were contracted at school: Our students, families, faculty, and staff have done an outstanding job of following the safety guidelines that have been in place since September. We want to continue to maintain a safe environment within the school building.
- The number of times and the number of people that have to quarantine as a result of COVID-19 cases: When there are a high number of students and/or staff required to quarantine, it is difficult to conduct classes in a meaningful way. Once we begin daily in-person instruction, we will monitor the number of times we have to quarantine and the number people that have to quarantine. This will help us understand our practices and adjust, if needed.
It is our goal to make sure that our return to daily in-person instruction is gradual, thoughtful and safe. Please know that additional information will follow as we reflect on the success of our return of students in grades 7-10.
If we believe that we can safely have middle and high school students (grades 7-12) in the building on a daily basis, we will communicate our plans for the return of students in grades 11-12 at a later date.
We appreciate the support and serious approach that students and families have taken this school year, and encourage staff/faculty, parents/guardians and students to reach out to their building principal with questions or concerns.