By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Local officials plan for traditional in-person education in all Sitka schools beginning in August, but will continue to monitor the coronavirus risk levels as the year wears on.
The new school superintendent, Frank Hauser, says the district will again use “layered” virus mitigations, and is taking some new measures.
“I am closely monitoring the current COVID-19 numbers as staff and I continue to plan for in-person school in the fall,” Hauser said in an email to school families on Thursday. “We have in place the district’s protocols and toolkit of layered mitigation strategies that proved successful last year, and we are also in the process of upgrading our schools’ air ventilation systems. We have just received a grant, too, which will allow us to offer rapid screening testing to all interested students and staff on a weekly basis.”
Funding for the new ventilation system was approved by vote of the School Board at a meeting last month.
Current mitigation measures, as revised last month, include mandatory mask wearing in school buildings, hand washing, physical distancing, contact tracing of cases, and asymptomatic testing. The district’s full mitigation plan is public at sitkaschools.org.
While the district is putting precautions in place, Hauser acknowledged a degree of uncertainty.
“We’ve had the protocols and toolkit of layered mitigations which served the district well last year...We’re in the process of installing ozone-free air ionization units in all of our schools ... Obviously I can’t predict right now where we’re going to fall in our mitigation levels,” Hauser told the Sentinel over the phone.
“I can’t predict where we’re going to be a month from now, and where that will lie on the current mitigation levels ... I don’t want to speculate on that,” the superintendent said.
Last school year the district instituted a cohort schedule in most schools, with some students learning in-person and others online in a rotating schedule.
Hauser added that any decisions about school this fall will boil down to the situation on the ground.
“Right now we’re just looking at numbers, and what we’re trying to do is just listen. And for me, I’m just listening and watching the trends and making the decision based on that,” he said.
“I have a very clear-cut philosophy that really guides my decisions as an educator, and it’s what is best for students,” Hauser said. “In-person education was what was best for kids, and I’m sure that everyone will pull together for a safe and successful school year.”
In his message to families the superintendent said:
“I am going to continue looking forward to being in classrooms myself on the first day of school and throughout the school year. For now, l know that we’re all going to work together and do everything we can—as individuals and a community—to stop the spread of this virus and move forward.
“I’m also going to hold community listening sessions to hear from families and students. If you’re a staff member in the district, I will continue my tradition of holding regular ‘Let’s Be ‘Frank’’ meetings to hear directly from staff. I’ll keep you posted on the dates and times of the listening sessions and meetings as we get closer to the start of school.”
It’s been only a month since Hauser took over as superintendent, and he’s looking forward to having input from student families.
“I actually haven’t had any communications, contacts. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Hauser told the Sentinel. “I want to open up that communication and send some information out to families just to make sure that they’re hearing from me. I do value that feedback.”
