With the three pillars of safety, equity, and accessibility for all students and staff guiding a framework for reopening RSU 71, The Task Force to Safely Reopen RSU 71 has grounded its work upon the Maine Department of Education’s Framework for Returning to Classroom Instruction.

RSU 71 comprises public schools in Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Searsmont and Swanville.

The framework is organized into four parts: 

Part I - Physical Health and Safety Considerations

Part II - Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Considerations (RSU # 71 sub-committees include Social/Emotional Wellness, and HealthCare and Community Partnership.) 

Part III - Academic, Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities, Programs, and Student Learning Considerations (RSU # 71 sub-committees include Instruction and Special Education.) 

Part IV - Common Foundation for Remote Learning  (RSU # 71 sub-committees include Technology and Academics, and Governance.)

A committee of 62 parents, students, counselors, educators, administrators, and the school board has been created and is meeting weekly through the month of June, with the goal of releasing a draft plan to the RSU 71 community and the public at large in the first week of July.

While the recommendation regarding when schools may safely resume classroom instruction in the fall of 2020 will be announced by the state in late July, the committee believes it is in the collective best interest to design the district’s own local preparedness plans in regards to the 2020-2021 school year.

The committee is broken into subcommittees working on the four parts of the framework: Governance, Social and Emotional Wellness, Academic and Common Foundation for Remote Learning. Each subcommittee will create plans for three stages of reopening - Red Plan-Full remote learning by district Yellow Plan- Partial or modified in-person learning, Green Plan- full in-person learning. Weekly progress updates will be sent out from the RSU 71 Superintendent. 

Resources: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Return%20to%20Classroom%20Instruction%20Framework.pdf