September 12, 2021
Dear Parents and Patrons,

As we return to school tomorrow, I ask for your cooperation and support.

Students and staff are expected to wear a face covering when they are inside any of our school buildings beginning on Monday, September 13th. A few other measures are also being implemented in an effort to help limit the possible transmission of COVID-19 during the school day. The Board plans to revisit conditions and the temporary mitigating measures during their October 13th meeting. Right now we are experiencing an alarming number of new cases of COVID-19 daily, and student and staff absenteeism has challenged our ability to maintain school functions at what we consider to be an acceptable level.

These measures were approved by the Board of Trustees on September 8, 2021 during their regular September meeting. It is our desire to continue to offer full-time in-person learning, without any interruption to the full- time schedule, for all students in the Weiser School District. Although there is no guarantee that we can continue regular operations without interruptions, we need to do what we can to avoid circumstances that require forced school closures, a need to return to part-time AA/BB programing, or full remote teaching and learning altogether. Again, I am asking for your help and cooperation with this effort. I understand the frustration some are experiencing.

Included in this posting is the attendance and COVID-19 data that the Board considered when they made their decisions on Wednesday. The COVID-19 Spreadsheet indicates the number of confirmed positive cases of
COVID that have been reported to school officials by day by parents. The report only includes those who self-reported to schools. Data for September 8th was not available at the time of the meeting. The Attendance Spreadsheet indicates the number of student and staff absences as reported at the beginning of each day. Additionally, Trustees were informed that the district operated with anywhere from 5 12 staff positions that were not covered by a substitute between August 30th and September 8th.

I encourage you to review the WSD data that was presented to the Board on September 8th. I hope that you will fully consider the current conditions that we are facing within our schools and within our community, and that you will elect to support our efforts to keep students in school and avoid any further interruptions to current school programing. We need your help and support at this most difficult time.

Respectfully,
Wade Wilson, Superintendent

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