Public Information and Announcements

At the SAD 54 School Board Meeting of 8/12/21 I recommended the board require the use of masks in school for everyone in school, regardless of vaccination. The Board supported this recommendation and committed to reviewing the decision monthly throughout the year. At the Board meetings of 10/21, 11/16, and 12/16 the Board affirmed/reviewed the decision and my recommendation that masks continue to be required for this school year unless the following criteria were to change. Since that time the changes to the state SOP has provided additional reasons to support universal masking to ensure our students can remain in school. Below is a summary of why the recommendation stands and the key items that would each need to change for that recommendation to be adjusted.

I am writing to you this evening to share that over the past two days the district was informed of 45 additional cases of COVID-19. These cases impacted students and/or staff at Canaan Elementary School (4 cases), Bloomfield Elementary School (6 cases), Margaret Chase Smith School (2 cases), Mill Stream Elementary School (3 cases), North Elementary School (1 case), Skowhegan Area High School (18 cases), Skowhegan Area Middle School (10 cases) and one district case. Those 45 positive cases resulted in 307 close contacts; 158 of which needed to community quarantine.

I am writing to you this evening to share that over the past two days the district was informed of 12 additional cases of COVID-19. These cases impacted students and/or staff at Canaan Elementary School (1 case), Bloomfield Elementary School (1 case), Somerset Career & Technical Center ( 3 cases), Skowhegan Area High School (4 cases), and Skowhegan Area Middle School (3 cases). Those 12 positive cases resulted in 159 close contacts; 77 of which needed to community quarantine.

I am writing to you this evening to share that over the first three days of this week, the district was informed of 38 additional cases of COVID-19. This is a very large number and is among the highest total for this year. These cases impacted students and/or staff at Canaan Elementary School (5 case), Bloomfield Elementary School (5 cases), Mill Stream Elementary School (4 cases), North Elementary School (7 case), Skowhegan Area High School (13 cases), and Skowhegan Area Middle School (4 cases). Those 38 positive cases resulted in 312 close contacts, 108 of which needed to community quarantine.

Good evening, am writing to you this evening to share an update on COVID-19 cases in our district during the holiday break and the first days of this week. During the vacation the district was informed of 10 additional cases of COVID-19. These cases impacted students and/or staff at Canaan Elementary School (1 case), Bloomfield Elementary School (1 case), Mill Stream Elementary School (2 cases), Margaret Chase Smith School (1 case) Skowhegan Area High School (4 cases), and Skowhegan Area Middle School (1 case). Those 10 positive cases resulted in 7 individuals needing to quarantine.

On January 5th The Maine Department of Education released a news brief supporting the effectiveness and efficacy of masks as a mitigation strategy for spread of the COVID-19 virus. That information can be found at the following link: https://bit.ly/3fK72GA 

I hope this letter finds everyone enjoying their Sunday on the heels of a good holiday break with family and friends. Today, a day before students and staff return to school, is always a day with mixed emotions. Many of us have set our New Year's resolutions and have already begun the process of making them come true. (I made it through 2021 caffeine free!) Our teachers and instructional staff are getting their plans ready for the week ahead, while students are making the most of their last day of break (some likely cramming to get their homework done…). With the return to school tomorrow, I would like to share some positive news regarding changes to the state’s SOP for schools. This new document, which includes changes to the quarantine rules as a result of the federal CDC’s new understandings of the science, is exactly the gift schools needed heading into the new year.