YKHC Guidance Document Referred to in the Superintendent Letter Below: YKHC Guidance 4-26-21.pdf
UPDATED YKHC GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
FROM SUPERINTENDENT HANKINS
April 28, 2021
Dear parents, students, and the entire LKSD learning community,
As we have communicated from the outset, our district relies on the best possible medical, scientific, and public health information and guidance from various sources, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC), and the Alaska Smart Start 2020 Restart & Reentry Framework Guidance for K-12 Schools. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to provide the best possible education for students without sacrificing the health and safety of the entire school community.
YKHC Official Advisory – Formal Recommendations for School Districts (April 26, 2021)
YKHC has recently released an Official Advisory of Formal Recommendations for School Districts that updates their recommendations for safe delivery of in-person instruction in our schools based on the new CDC guidance. This new guidance provides updated information about COVID-19 mitigation strategies including physical distancing, ventilation, masking, and clarified the role of community transmission levels in decision-making and best practices regarding screening, testing and vaccinations. More information on YKHC’s Official Advisory can be found on the LKSD website. We are diligently working on implementing this new guidance and will be providing more details.
Expanding School Re-Opening
As a result of the number of COVID-19 cases declining in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Bethel sub-region has shifted from an area with “high transmission” of COVID-19 to an area with “substantial transmission”. This shift will result in bringing more students back into LKSD schools in the communities that fall within the Bethel sub-region. Our schools within the sub-region are working to update their plans and will be sharing details with students and families as they are finalized.
As more people get vaccinated and as vaccine eligibility for children ages 12 to 15 is imminent, we expect community transmission to further decline, thus increasing in-person learning. We are also prepared to shift back into remote learning as needed should community conditions change.
We recognize that this public health crisis continues to be dynamic, and we are committed to continuing to monitor the situation and the ever-changing guidance offered so that adjustments can be made to our instruction as necessary.
Thank you for continuing to do your part to ensure the safety and health of our students and school community.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Hankins
Superintendent