Dear Shaker Heights Schools Families,
Today, the Ohio Department of Health downgraded Cuyahoga County to a Level 2 Public Emergency (Orange) on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. This news is encouraging and we want to share with you what it may mean for students and staff and how it will inform our plans to return to in-person learning.
Looking ahead, we are hopeful that the improvement in county-level trend data means we can explore additional opportunities for in-person learning and extracurricular experiences. These may include outdoor meetups between teachers and students, targeted in-person special education services and the possibility of some in-person extracurricular activities. We will share more information about these activities as it becomes available. The High School Athletic Department also will share information on how this news impacts our High School student athletes and athletic competitions in the coming days.
We are hopeful that this change is indicative of sustained improvement. The trends in the coming weeks will shape our timeline and progress on a return to in-person learning. While we still plan to be in a remote learning environment for the first quarter, we will adjust this timeline as needed, as we consider the following:
Cuyahoga County Board of Health Guidance to Districts: Our 2020-21 School Year Plan, released earlier this month, was originally aligned with the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. Since then, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health issued further guidance to local school districts and identified metrics that will inform future recommendations, including: a sustained decline in COVID-19 testing positivity rates below 5% (as of August 11, the Cuyahoga County positivity rate was 5%); a sustained decline in new cases over a one-month period; a risk rating of Orange/2 or below over multiple weeks; and increased COVID-19 testing capacity for children. We will continue to align our decisions based on this and other local, state and national guidance.
Ventilation Study of District Buildings: In light of the pandemic and as part of our preparations for the coming school year, the Board of Education requested that we initiate an updated ventilation study of our buildings. The District already regularly monitors air quality and ventilation as part of our ongoing building assessments and maintenance. This new evaluation will take approximately one month to complete. It will be more expansive and specific to COVID-19 risk factors and will provide us with additional information on how we can safely proceed with plans for in-person learning.
Monitoring of the Return-to-Work Plan: We will continue to monitor progress and adherence to health and safety protocols as employees return to work. We will also continue to prepare classrooms and work spaces for a return to on-site work and in-person learning.
We look forward to the start of school and the eventual return of our students and staff. As always, we will continue to keep our families updated regularly. Thank you for your support and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent
Shaker Heights Schools