Since March 12, 2020 our Board of Education and Administration have made pandemic related decisions based on what we believe is best for our students. As it is with any difficult decision that has ideological differences, those choices are not unanimously agreed upon but we have always based our final verdict on the litmus test of “what is best for our students?”
Last year we were one of very few area schools to offer in person learning five days a week for the entire school year because we believed in person learning was best for the overwhelming majority of our students. It was not easy at times, but thankfully our community was supportive and our staff performed with a high degree of professionalism and flexibility in the face of many roadblocks. We also worked closely with our local health department and the policies and procedures that were given to us at the time by the Wood County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health.
During this past summer, again with the UPDATED policies and procedures of the health department in mind, we made the decision to recommend the wearing of masks but ultimately left it to each child’s individual parent to make the final decision. Since the start of the school year, the overwhelming majority of our families have made the choice to not have their children wear a mask. While we respect each family's decision to not wear a mask, unfortunately we are experiencing a large number of students being placed into quarantine given the guidelines of the Ohio Department of Health.
In the last couple of days, we have identified 10 students who have tested positive for Covid-19 and approximately 180 students have had to be quarantined because they were not wearing a mask. Of those students who are now in quarantine, more than 150 would not be forced to miss school, according to the guidelines of the Ohio Department of Health, if they had been properly wearing masks.
As data has shown us from last year, kids who are in school and face-to-face with teachers for learning opportunities achieve more and it reduces the learning gaps. In addition, with close to 50% of our population receiving two meals a day, we are concerned about their health, safety, and nutrition if they have to be quarantined.
Finally, because we believe that it is our most important responsibility to have as many kids in school as possible, and because we have to follow the rules given to us by the Ohio Department of Health, beginning tomorrow, September 9, 2021 all students and staff will have to PROPERLY wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, during the school day and at all indoor events on our campus. This is not what we want to do and for those of you who are opposed to masks we are sorry but we hope you understand this is the only way to maximize the number of our students who can attend school as set forth by the Ohio Department of Health.
Jim