Good afternoon,
We are excited to have already cleared 28 schools to reopen on Monday and Tuesday; and I am proud to announce that we have cleared another 32 schools to reopen. Staff will return to those schools on Monday for a reunification day and to start lesson planning. Students are invited to come to their own reunification day on Tuesday. Classes will begin on Wednesday.
We will clear additional schools on Saturday and Sunday, and these will follow the same schedule. Please continue to monitor your email, our website and Facebook page through the weekend for the latest updates. Once we clear a school, you will hear from your principal with more information.
Many of you have asked, why isn’t my school open yet? We set nine safety criteria and will not open a school until all nine criteria are met. This does not mean that your school has failed these criteria. Our biggest roadblock for most schools is the air quality test. Samples have been sent to the lab for every school that is able to open and we are awaiting the results. Just like you, I want those results back as soon as possible, but I also will not decide to open a school until we have documented that the air inside is safe.
Another big question is about transportation. Buses will be running. If you have not moved or changed schools, your child’s bus operates just as it did before the storm. If you’re attending the same school, but at a partner location, your stops have not changed. However, you should attend the student reunification day to check if the times have changed. If you have moved or changed schools, you may use the mapnet system on the transportation section of our website; just enter your new address and the school name to find the closest stop to your location.
I am excited to see our students back on campus next week. I know for some families this might still be too soon, and we understand. Please stay in touch with your schools. We promised to be sensitive in our reopening and we will be.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.