SUPERINTENDENT’S

BY ELLSWORTH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT BARRY CAIN

Keeping schools open for all

On Monday, Aug. 16, the Ellsworth Community School District Board of Education approved the “Safe Return to Schools Plan” for the 2021-2022 school year. These plans are required for all school districts this year. The plan is available on the school district website at www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us._ The elements of the plan put in place by our school board largely reflects what most schools in our area are presently following._There are many measures that are being taken on a daily basis in our work to keep our students and staff in our school daily. As stressed in our public meetings, this plan is what we have in place right now and there may need to be changes as we move along during this school year._We ask all families to be highly aware of illnesses within the household and to keep students home when ill.__ As you will see in the plan, we are starting off the school year with face coverings being optional for all students, staff, and visitors in our school buildings and on school grounds.__ There is currently a CDC order in place for face coverings on all sources of public transportation. School buses are included in this order._ Attorneys are recommending that school districts adhere to this order due to a possible increase in liability exposure and a possible loss of immunity protections in the State of Wisconsin. The vast majority of school districts in the area are following this legal guidance._ Although this may seem strange that students are required to wear face coverings on buses while not in other areas of our schools, it is a federal order at this time. As a district we are asking for voluntary compliance with this order by all students. We will have face coverings available for any student who forgets a face covering._Under the current order, no disciplinary action is to be taken against students who do not have face coverings on a school bus._ Please also note that we will be identifying students who are within 3 feet of a person identified as having COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer in a single day. At this point, we will connect with all families of identified students and inform them of the possible exposure. We are not excluding students at this time that we identify as these close contacts. We are simply informing families and asking all families to have a heightened awareness of any symptoms a child may have or begin to have. We are excluding all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or have a case of COVID-19 within the household.__ As stated above, the plan in place today will need to be continually evaluated as we work our way through this school year with the goal of keeping our schools open for all._