Dear Bulldog Families:
As we prepare to enter our 7th week of hybrid model instruction, I wanted to reach out to provide you with a brief update on the status of our current instructional model as well as thoughts about possible future adjustments. This past week, Governor DeWine announced that Cuyahoga County has moved from COVID Advisory Level 2 (Orange) to Level 3 (Red). This change in COVID Advisory Levels will NOT have an immediate impact for our district. Given this COVID Advisory Level 3 (Red) status in Cuyahoga County, the district will continue to operate with our hybrid model in place, as outlined in our OFCS Responsible Restart Plan (released 8/14/20).
Looking ahead to the future, should our county’s COVID Advisory status change back to Level 2 (Orange) and remain there for a period of time, the district will consider ways to provide more in-person instruction. Those discussions have already begun. As we have been closely monitoring our local and district data, we are pleased to report that our mitigation plan and protocols have thus far been successful in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within our school settings since the return of students to our buildings in September. While we have had cases of individuals needing to quarantine, it has been the result of coming into contact with a family member at home rather than a staff member or classmate in school.
In recent days, I have had a number of parents reach out with questions about when we might be able to transition to an All In 5-day model of instruction. While we don’t know when a full 5-day return may be possible, I do want to share that we have begun to talk internally about how we might be able to alter the current hybrid instructional model in order to provide more instruction for students. We are collaborating with staff to look at multiple options and will seek input from our families along the way.
While yesterday’s announcement of our county returning to Level 3 (Red) was not welcome news, it is one of a number of indicators that we are continuously monitoring to determine how and when adjustments might be made. We plan to continue exploring options that would allow for more instructional time for students and look forward to engaging our families in that process.
We continue to appreciate the patience and support of our students and families, and the dedication and commitment of our staff members. As always, we will continue to provide our school community with updates as they become available, and I encourage you to reach out to your child’s building principal with any questions that may arise.
Have a good weekend.
Sincerely,
Jim
Dr. Jim Lloyd
Superintendent for the Olmsted Falls City School District
26937 Bagley Rd.
Olmsted Township, OH 44138
Phone: 440-427-6000
Twitter: @OFCSSuper
Web: www.ofcs.net
