The following was shared by RSU 13 officials:

RSU 13 2020-2021 Reopening Plan

A successful opening will be a safe opening. RSU 13 has been immersed in the important committee work of developing recommendations. Committee members have been involved in the following activities:

Consulting with other state and area leaders and field experts

Referencing documents from not only the Maine DOE and CDC but also other state reopening documents

Analyzing end of the year as well as the early July survey results from both staff and families

Paying attention to research on school openings from other countries.

While we are proud of the work that has taken place in order to develop our Re-Opening Draft, we recognize that there is no perfect answer that will meet the needs of every family, particularly if we have to make shifts in our scenario over time. That is because decisions were made in light of our priorities as outlined in our Planning Document shared with the board, employees, and public earlier this summer:

RSU 13’s PRE-ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES

Provide social and emotional support to all students, specifically building connections with students and fostering students’ connections with each other

Provide sound academic instruction through proficiency based education

ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES GIVEN THE COVID-19 SITUATION

Ensure health and safety of students, staff, and community

Ensure that we have a system in place to respond to an anticipated increase in student mental health needs

Ensure equity for students

We feel that the plan presented in the document linked below provides the best balance of these priorities. We recognize that each shift in a scenario, which may be necessary as time goes on, will result in one or more of the priorities being compromised in some way. We ask that as you read and eventually discuss the plan, that you keep these important priorities in mind.

Respectfully Submitted: RSU 13’s 2020-2021 Reopening Plan