Dear Staff,
The board of education had lengthy discussions weighing pros and cons of how school should be conducted in August. At the end of the conversation it was decided that, based on our current local community infection status, a position supporting face-to-face instruction in August was adopted. The decision aligns with the guidance from the Colorado Health Institute, American Academy of Pediatrics, and input from local public health. The guidance allows for flexibility in adapting this position if and when the local status changes.
The guiding principles adopted by the board have been included (see below).
The decision to begin school with an in-person approach is a starting point. There are many health related considerations we will discuss and plan toward. Details as to the logistics of the start of school will continue to be developed over the next few weeks. We will continue to communicate these logistics.
With that said, we realize that both staff and students may have personal reasons for which a return to school is a concern. We would like to understand the concerns. At this time, we are requesting that staff reach out to their principal/supervisor or superintendent/human resources by Wednesday, July 22nd to voice these concerns so that we can best consider and address the staff concerns related to the start of school.
We appreciate your support in making very tough decisions on how to move forward with the start of school in response to the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Bethany
Board approved guiding principles for the start of school (July 14, 2020)
Lake County School District Board of Education COVID-19 Guiding Principles for Return to School To assist Lake County School District in making informed decisions about a return to school for the 2020-2021 school year, the Board of Education of the District hereby establishes the following guiding principles based on applicable law and public health guidance:
1. The Board supports in-person learning for all grade levels when school reopens in August following a safe threshold approach, outlined in item three below. However, Board decisions about the return to school will be made in consultation with the Lake County Department of Public Health and based on applicable law and COVID-19 guidance issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Health Institute, and CDE/CDPHE for school re-entry.
2. As policies and practices related to COVID-19 are intended to mitigate, not eliminate, risk of transmission, the District will adopt coordinated measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission without significant disruption to the educational and social well-being of District students and their developmental needs.
3. The District will develop a continuum of instructional phases through which students and staff can transition based on the level of COVID-19 transmission in the community. This approach will be applied from the first day of school.
a. The continuum of instructional phases shall include online, in-person, and hybrid phases of instruction. Movement through the continuum will take place as appropriate based on the following:
i. Applicable Executive and Public Health Orders and related guidance. ii.Community COVID-19 transmission levels as being developed in coordination with local public health (see sample below).
1. Individual: If a child has a confirmed case or confirmed exposure of COVID-19…
2. Cohort: If a member of an identified cohort (staff/student) has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the cohort (minus the infected individual) should …
3. School: If a school reaches a threshold of X, the school will…
4. Community: If the Lake County community reaches an infection rate of X, schools will… If the community reaches an infection rate of Y, schools will…
iii. As appropriate in accordance with the IDEA and Section 504
4. The District will comply with applicable privacy laws in reporting COVID-19 cases
a. The District will comply with applicable privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and cooperate with the Lake County Public Health Department when reporting COVID-19 cases in the District community
