August 19, 2021
Dear school staff and community members:
Our district’s number one priority is welcoming our students back to the classroom, while also taking steps to help keep our students and staff healthy and safe. After seeing the way parents and staff showed up to protect and serve our students during the 2020-2021 school year, there is no doubt our community has the ability to do the same this school year.
We want to continue communicating important state-related information that impacts our schools.
Today Governor Kate Brown held a press conference directing the Oregon Health Authority to issue a rule requiring all public and private school teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18, or six weeks from FDA approval, whichever is later. As with state employees and healthcare workers - religious and medical/disability-related exceptions apply. The decision was made due to the increase of positive cases connected to the delta variant.
From what we know today, there are two keys to keeping our students in classrooms with minimal disruptions:
- Most people in schools are unvaccinated (children under 12 are still not eligible), so masks are a critical tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a school setting.
- Just as important is ensuring all the adults around our students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so that they are safe and able to reliably provide in-person instruction.
Although COVID-19 is a recent challenge, vaccinations are a familiar and long-practiced health tool. Nearly every Oregon educator is already vaccinated against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough), Polio, Varicella (chickenpox), Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Hepatitis A & B. COVID-19 is a disease like all the others.
While this may not be the decision we anticipated, we will keep you updated going forward.
I understand this is hard to process, but firmly believe if we work together, we can keep our staff and students safe and in the classroom. Thank you for your continued support and patience as our school community anticipates the new school year.
Dave Gianotti, Superintendent