January 4, 2022
Dear students, staff, and families,
As we have returned from the winter break our district staff have been continuing to monitor situations which could impact our ability to safely operate in-person learning this week. Part of our process, consistent with DOH School guidance, has remained that any student or staff member who is exhibiting symptoms may not return to school without a negative PCR test, and we have several tests pending. While we await those results, staffing our buildings is becoming a significant concern along with our student absent rate due to illness. This week, added to COVID matters, are safety concerns due to predicted weather events over the next couple of days.
While we are evaluating these circumstances we are also preparing for remote learning, should a closure become necessary. No one wants to have to close our buildings, but even more so, no one wants our students to miss instructional time, moving our last day of school closer to the end of June.
We have been talking about this possibility and about our preparations, and we’d like to share some of the results of the planning with you. We’ve created a Remote Learning Plan for students and families to help with your preparation. Don’t panic, it’s not a whole bunch of new information we are expecting you to know. It’s all information we have shared before, but now it is all in one place. We also know this document may require updates, as we are continually evaluating and improving our processes.
As for school tomorrow, we will wait and see what the evening, and perhaps the morning, brings. The forecast for overnight and tomorrow is a bit all over the place; we could see little to no change or freezing rain or mixed rain and snow which could cause significant road safety concerns. We could get a number of negative test results back late tonight for staff members, or we could have five new people wake up with symptoms and be unable to operate in person. If there is not a clear answer tonight regarding school tomorrow, then we will evaluate our staffing and road conditions across the district tomorrow beginning at 4 A.M. We will announce any schedule changes no later than 6 A.M.
It may be a cold, slushy night out there, but it's still a great night to be a Borderite, and, as always, a great night to be your superintendent.
Dr. Christopher Granger
Every Student. Every Day. Now In a New Way!