Starting with some EC programs, which returned to classrooms on September 29, followed by Pre-K, on October 12, and elementary on November 2, students and staff in CMS schools have resumed in-person learning, trusting that our district leadership are taking the necessary steps to keep learning and teaching safe.

Since schools reopened, 258 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in our schools, and the number of new reported cases among staff doubled between November 13 and November 20.

Board members and district leadership assert that these cases could not have been contracted at school, but have so far failed to sufficiently explain this conclusion.

The district plan for reopening was made with the best information available at the time. Since then, researchers have discovered that children can carry a very high viral load and play a larger role in the spread of COVID than was initially believed. Our district must adjust plans in light of new information.

We, the undersigned, call on the CMS Board of Education to immediately adopt measures to keep its employees, students, and families safe, until an effective COVID-19 vaccine is widely available, by:

1. Adhering to district established metrics which open schools, grade levels, or segments thereof, only when one or both public health metrics are in yellow and none are in red; and returning to remote learning for all students if and when those same metrics are not met.

2. Improving the detailed, accurate, and prompt reporting of cases, exposures, quarantines, and casualties on the CMS COVID-19 readiness dashboard by updating information twice weekly, and adjusting the COVID breakdown report to reflect cases at individual schools over two weeks instead of one.

3. Improving the contact tracing process to more accurately reflect close contact with a person testing positive, and ensuring clear and transparent communication about potential exposure for all stakeholders including bus drivers and families.

4. Equipping classrooms that do not have adequate airflow with portable air filtration systems, and providing documentation to stakeholders outlining what actions have been taken to improve air quality in schools.

5. Providing accommodation for all employees at high risk of COVID complications (per CDC guidelines) to contribute their skills and labor safely without retaliation. Employees that are asked to report to in person work shall be provided additional measures to ensure safety (ie. changes to responsibilities, modified work space, or improved PPE) as well as justification that their work is critical in nature and cannot be accomplished at home.

It is crucial that all CMS staff and the families we serve feel confident in their safety when they attend our schools. While it is impossible to entirely eliminate the risk of contracting COVID during the pandemic, following the above steps can help to reduce that risk as well as build confidence in stakeholders that their voices are being heard and concerns are being taken seriously.