School Board sends a letter to Governor Brown asking for a change in risk metrics
By Paul Hall on Friday, April 16th, 2021 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
LA GRANDE – The La Grande School District Board wrote a letter to Governor Brown, indicating that the board would like county risk metrics changed from required to an advisory guideline. What the board is referring to in the letter, currently if an indoor event or graduation took place only 100 people would be able to attend under current required Moderate Risk category. Under an advisory guideline it would bring in more families for such an event.
(A letter presented to Governor Brown)
Dear Governor Brown,
It is a challenging time to be in public service. Covid-19 has created issues that none of us would ever have thought we would be struggling with. Our Board would like to thank you for the difficult decisions you must make regularly to navigate this pandemic.
Our students have paid a heavy price this year. Even though children are unlikely to become sick from Covid 19, their academic quality and experience has been impacted greatly. Our staff and District have worked hard to provide the best experience they can for students. By prioritizing school staff for vaccines, you have demonstrated to our Board your commitment to our children.
We are fast approaching graduation for the class of 2021. Unfortunately, the final experience these students will have in high school will be guided by our local county risk level. If risk levels remain moderate, high or extreme, the class of 2021 may never be together this final year of their public-school education. This is an incredibly sad situation. Therefore, our Board asks you to consider making a special exemption of guidance for graduation events or move the guidance to advisory. By doing so, this would allow the local school districts to consider their own Covid-19 risks and safety protocols for this important event.
We seem to be turning a corner with reduced infection numbers and the increase in Oregonians getting vaccinated. Our hope is that by June our county is open and Covid-19 is under control but sadly we simply just do not know if this will be the case.
We hope you consider our request. The class of 2021 has been impacted more than any other class from Covid-19. Let us give them an in-person graduation experience with all their classmates. This can be done safely and will send a message to students, as well as all Oregonians where our future is headed.
