Dear Members of the Wilmington Community,
Tomorrow, the Baker-Polito Administration will lift many of the COVID-19 restrictions and the state of emergency will end on June 15, 2021. An update on the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) COVID-19 Guidance is embedded below.
Updated DESE COVID-19 Guidance May 2021
There are, however, some important exceptions for K-12 schools and I want to ensure our community is aware of these, specifically:
1. Through the end of the current school year, all of the core mitigation strategies that have been used throughout this year will remain in place, except for outdoor masking. This means that masking/face coverings by all students is still required when we return to school following the Memorial Day holiday weekend through until the last day of school on June 21, 2021.
2. Wilmington Public Schools will follow the recommendation of DESE having all of our summer programs, June through August, continue to follow the health and safety guidelines currently in place for in-person learning.
3. Most importantly, for the Fall 2021 school reopening, all districts and schools are required to be in-person, full-time, five days a week. And, all DESE health and safety requirements will be lifted; this includes no longer needing to physical distance. Therefore, we should expect to return to a complete state of normal operations in the fall when we begin the 21/22 school year.
I am glad that these guidelines have been released now since it will help our school leaders and staff begin to prepare for the return of school in Wilmington. Lastly, I want to share with you that, thanks to Ms. Crowe's efforts, we will have the mobile vaccination unit visiting Wilmington very soon. Please watch for additional information in an announcement early next week. We are clearly turning a corner with single digit COVID-19 cases in town, and thank you to all for your continued support and collective efforts in helping us end the year on a positive note.
Click here for a full list of DESE COVID 19 information and resources.
I want to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Sincerely,
Glenn Brand, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools