News

MSAD 15 Covid-19 update

To: MSAD 15 Community
From: Craig King, Superintendent
Date: February 5, 2021
Re: COVID-19 Update

I continue to be very impressed with how our employees adapt and change at a moment’s notice to serve our students. Despite our challenges, they reliably display a “can do” attitude in keeping our schools open and functioning at high levels.

Unfortunately, current trends in local exposure rates, infection rates, and the quarantine of many staff and students have become a great challenge. Individual or multiple MSAD 15 schools have been placed in 100% remote status three times since Thanksgiving. On all three occasions, it was due to employee quarantine; we simply did not have enough staff or substitute staff available to run the school(s). On many days, we are operating with a skeletal staff, one absence away from implementing 100% remote status for a school or multiple schools.

I am asking all members of the MSAD 15 community to recommit themselves to that which we know keeps schools a safe place for students and staff: Emphasis on Health Guidelines

February Vacation Traditionally, this has been a time when many families travel. I encourage each family who is planning to travel out-of-state or host guests from out-of-state to visit the Maine COVID-19 Response Page at https://www.maine.gov/covid19/. This page has extensive, accurate, and up-to-date information regarding travel and visitor information, screening requirements, and other “know before you go” topics. I trust and have confidence each family will do its best to be safe, but please remember, the virus does not take a vacation.

We know an effective vaccination is on the way. However, it is not readily available and it will be months before we can rely on large-scale vaccination. Let’s keep our guard up and maintain a commitment to health guidelines.