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2020-2021 School Year Reopening

Posted: June 30, 2020

June 30, 2020

To: Scio School District Families and Community Members
Re: Operational Blueprint for Reentry for School Year 2020-21

We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy.

In the past weeks and months, we know you have faced extraordinary challenges to build on the strengths and meet the needs of our state’s children during a global pandemic. Oregon’s education professionals, including school board members, have pulled off heroic efforts to provide care, connection, and continuity of learning for our students. The Scio School District community has responded together to this crisis. 

Now, it is imperative that we work through the challenges and prepare steadily to go back to school. Our children need access to an equitable, high quality education and all the nutrition, health, and social supports that come with it. Families are essential partners, and we understand that you need and deserve opportunities to provide input and a clear understanding of how school is being organized and delivered in 2020-21, which follows in this letter.

On June 10, 2020, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released Ready Schools, Safe Learners Guidance designed for school leaders that puts forward the requirements and recommendations we will use to plan for the fall. Oregon Health Authority epidemiologists helped create and vet this guidance so that we could have clear health and safety protocols to follow for a variety of scenarios. The guidance describes what we know now, with an understanding that we will all need to navigate the state’s evolving efforts to mitigate COVID-19. ODE’s focus is on the safe reentry of students and staff to school. They are working closely with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to develop and update requirements and recommendations for school districts that meet our obligations for health, safety, equity, and quality instruction across the state. OHA epidemiologists helped create and vet this guidance, and this collaboration ensures that we have the critical information we need to welcome students in the fall. ODE received comments from over 8,000 parents and counting in the last few months which informed the development of the guidance. 

Scio School District staff are beginning a first draft of an Operational Blueprint for Reentry so we can prepare for students to come back to school this fall. Of course, we are anticipating changes along the way, and we will all need to navigate the state’s evolving efforts to mitigate COVID-19. We must determine whether we teach all students on-site, teach all students through new comprehensive distance learning, or utilize a hybrid model based on the distinct strengths and needs of the Scio School District. And we’ll tailor the plan to our local context and needs, including public health, equity, instruction, and engagement protocol. The blueprint also includes a communicable disease plan and close coordination between our schools, school districts, and the local public health authorities.

The people in our community know best what our schools need to provide a high quality, equity-focused education for all students. Your participation and feedback will be crucial to our decision making. We invite you to provide us feedback in any of the following ways…

Thank you for your contributions, energy, and patience as we work together to keep students safe, engaged, and learning in the Scio School District. 

Steve R Martinelli
Assistant Superintendent
Scio School District
martinellis@sciok12.org

2020-2021 School Year Opening Letter To Families