From the Superintendent's Desk
Mark Tucker, M.A. - Caledonia Central Supervisory Union
School Response to COVID-19 - an Update March 25, 2020
What is New
Last evening, Governor Scott issued more restrictive guidance related to Vermont's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Stay-Home, Stay-Safe directive (https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/governor-phil-scott-issues-%E2%80%9Cstay-home-stay-safe%E2%80%9D-order-directs-additional-closures) goes into effect this afternoon at 5pm. It requires " . . . Vermonters to stay at home, leaving only for essential reasons, critical to health and safety."
The order does not change any of the obligations placed on our school districts and employees in terms of providing meals for students, childcare for children of Essential Persons, and Continuity of Education for our students. This was reinforced this morning by memorandum from the Secretary of Education (https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-guidance-on-gov-scotts-stay-home-stay-safe-order.pdf).
We are starting to receive more inquiries about childcare, but they remain in the exploratory stage for families at this time. We have identified staff who have volunteered to provide childcare support if needed, but not in sufficient numbers that will allow us to open a facility at each of the seven schools. When we do open a site or sites, it will be done with geographical sensitivity and with consideration for the convenience of the families, but parents may still have to transport their children to another town if their own school is not available for childcare. And the latest direction from the AOE acknowledges that it will be harder and harder for us to meet any of these staffing requirements as the restrictions on movement increase and especially if any of our employees become infected. For now, we are planning to continue all directed activities that we started to provide a week ago when the doors of our schools first closed.
Many folks have been asking if and when the school year will resume. I don't know the answer to those questions, but I do expect a decision to be made soon and I will let you all know when we hear it.
I once again want to thank all of our employees who have continued to come to work to feed our children who are at home, to maintain our buildings, and to do the necessary work on continuity of education that can only be done at school.
Sincerely,
Mark Tucker, M.A.
Superintendent, Caledonia Central SU
Note: This is the eighth in a series of newsletters as we learn about and respond to the the impact of Coronavirus in our schools and communities.
Disclaimer: Nothing in this newsletter is meant to substitute for medical advice from your family practitioner