Dec. 2, 2020
Brookings-Harbor School District Families,
After weighing the situation and receiving feedback from students, parents, staff, and the School Board of Directors, I have made the difficult decision that our hybrid students will remain in comprehensive distance learning (CDL) mode through the end of the calendar year -- two and a half weeks remain before Winter Break.
We will continue to provide some additional Limited In-Person Instruction (LIPI) during this time with a focus on the social and emotional needs of our students. Even if we hit the “red zone” next week (60+ cases or 10%+ positivity in Curry County according to the school metrics), we will still be able to offer limited in person services and supports.
Electing to go to CDL will provide staff and students some consistency and less chance for another disruptive switch from in-person to CDL on short notice. It also provides some time to address concerns about potential metrics impacts from Thanksgiving travel and gatherings.
I respect and appreciate all of the feedback I received from our community ahead of this decision, and know that there will continue to be disagreement on the best course forward. A number of you expressed a desire to have students in person if we are able to, while others shared the stress of sudden shifts and week-to-week decisions on students, families, and teachers. Our BHSD staff is committed to providing the best education and support to our students regardless of the instructional model. My concern for the safety of our students and our staff certainly weighed heavily on this decision.
I'd like to close by stating that the post-Winter Break focus will be having our students in-person and keeping them in-person as much as possible. There was a pretty strong consensus with staff, students, and our board that students benefit the most from a safe and consistent routine in the classroom with their teachers and our amazing support staff.
Respectfully,
David Marshall, Superintendent