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Friday Board Bulletin 3/13/2020


Posted Date: 03/13/2020

Friday Board Bulletin 3/13/2020

Board Members:

I hope today's bulletin finds you all well at the start of your spring break. It sounds as if several of those plans are being disrupted. I'm going to focus my commentary today on the current status of COVID-19 and how we are responding. First things first: as you are aware, I have instructed our music directors to cut the trip short and head for Iowa. Last night I spoke with Mr. Tecklenburg and Mrs. Davis who shared with me that NYC was eerily silent. In a message this morning, it sounds as if the timeline for departure is moving up even again in consideration of additional closures around the city. 

I also wanted to address the press release that was issued from DMPS late yesterday afternoon. The headline was reckless and the content misleading. What the messaging failed to clarify was the fact that DMPS is on spring break all of next week and the week following that; classes were not scheduled from March 23-25 due to professional development and parent teacher conferences. The net effect is that school there has been closed an additional two days. This, all according to their previously approved school calendar. 

While we are on spring break next week we had already planned a deep clean and disinfection of our facilities. No doubt this is critically important in light of the expected increase in cases of this illness. In the interim, we'll continue to follow the advice of the IDPH and the Black Hawk County Health Department. I am speaking with my counterparts in the county and surrounding area daily, sometimes multiple times [daily]. It is our intention to work in concert and collaboration with one another, and we will continue to do so as appropriate.  

Finally, I am enclosing for your informational purposes the latest guidance from the CDC as it relates to school closures. While a closure may seem like a safe and easy decision, there are many complicating factors and the CDC puts a different perspective on the issue. The full guidance is attached, but the highlighted portions I believe are the most relevant. 

I'll be around all week so feel free to reach out if you have questions. Have a great weekend and please enjoy your spring break!

Considerations for School Closure

Recommendations on school closure based on available science, reports from other countries and consultation with school health experts.

1. There is a role for school closure in response to school-based cases of COVID-19 for decontamination and contact tracing (few days of closure), in response to significant absenteeism of staff and students (short to medium length, i.e. 2-4 weeks of closure), or as part of a larger community mitigation strategy for jurisdictions with substantial community spread* (medium to long length, i.e. 4-8 weeks or more of closure).

2. Available modeling data indicate that early, short to medium closures do not impact the epi curve of COVID-19 or available health care measures (e.g., hospitalizations). There may be some impact of much longer closures (8 weeks, 20 weeks) further into community spread, but that modelling also shows that other mitigation efforts (e.g., handwashing, home isolation) have more impact on both spread of disease and health care measures. In other countries, those places who closed school (e.g., Hong Kong) have not had more success in reducing spread than those that did not (e.g., Singapore).

3. In places where school closures are necessary, the anticipated academic and economic impacts and unintended impacts on disease outcomes must be planned for and mitigated. Provision of academic support (e.g., tele-ed), alternatives for school-based meals as well as other services (e.g., behavioral and mental health services) for
economically and physically vulnerable children, support for families for whom telework and paid sick leave is not available, ensuring that high risk individuals continue to be protected must all be addressed. Special consideration must be given for health care workers so that school closures do not impact their ability to work.

4. Closing schools early in the spread of disease for a short time (e.g., 2 weeks) will be unlikely to stem the spread of disease or prevent impact on the health care system, while causing significant disruption for families, schools, and those who may be responding to COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings. It may also increase impact on older adults who care for grandchildren. Waiting to enact school closures until at the correct time in the epidemic (e.g., later in the spread of disease) combined with other social distancing interventions allows for optimal impact despite disruption.

Dr. Tony Voss, Superintendent

Full CDC Guidance