Area schools prepare closure plans

This story was updated with addtional information on Thursday, March 19

DEERFIELD VALLEY-  Schools and child care and preschool facilities have closed following orders issued by Gov. Phil Scott this week.  
Windham Southwest Supervisory Union schools, including Twin Valley, Southern Valley, and Stamford school districts, were closed Monday morning.  Schools in Windham Central Supervisory Union, including River Valleys schools, were open on Monday, but closed Tuesday. Twin Valley Elementary School was closed on Friday, March 13, after a student at the school was tested for coronavirus.  On Monday, however, it was announced that the student had tested negative for the virus.
Gov. Scott’s orders began less than 48 hours after he declared a state of emergency on Friday, activated the Vermont National Guard, and announced a series of mitigation measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus.  At a Friday press conference, Gov. Scott said the state would not require K-12 schools to close, but would “continually reevaluate” the situation and would close schools if needed.  On Sunday, Gov. Scott announced the dismissal of all schools and cancelation of all school-related activities, no later than Wednesday, March 18. The school closure will remain in effect through April 6 and may be extended.  Gov. Scott’s order tasked school districts with continuing education programs during the dismissal, maintaining school nutrition programs, providing services for students with special needs, and “collaborating with the state to provide child care options for health care workers and others essential to the (coronavirus) response.”
According to a press release issued by the governor’s office, the school closures are intended to help halt the spread of coronavirus.  “This decision is based on the best scientific evidence available to the experts at the Vermont Department of Health,” said Vermont Commissioner of Health Dr. Mark Levine. “Closing schools at the end of the day Tuesday is another important step to help keep us ahead of the curve, in terms of preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19.”
On Monday, Windham Southwest Supervisory Union officials began planning their response to Gov. Scott’s directive.  According to a community notification issued by WSSU Superintendent Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll, the supervisory union will offer direction to teaching staff by the end of the day Monday.  
“We will give teachers and staff direction around working the remainder of the week and how we expect them to plan for the continuity of their students’ learning and/or how they will support students’ continuity of learning,” Komons-Montroll said.  “The continuity of student learning and the well-being of our students, families, and employees is a priority. As such, the plan that we are developing will strive to encompass all of the components that Governor Scott has referenced in his statement/press conference.”
WSSU Food Service Director Lonnie Paige said the supervisory union’s plan will include the delivery of meals to students’ homes by school bus. According to a subsequent press release from Komons-Montroll, the food service will begin daily deliveries starting today, Thursday, March 19, and will include lunch and the next day’s breakfast.  The meals are free, provided by the USDA-funded summer food service program.  
“This is a free program for anyone 18 years old or younger in a household.  We hope many will take advantage of this opportunity to have meals provided for all of our children”
According to the release, buses will deliver meals to stops on their regular route, although deliveries will be later in the day.  Some bus routes may be modified.  Komons-Montroll advises parents to contact their school for information regarding deliveries, and confirm requests for meals.  “Thursday and Friday this week will be a pilot, and times may be adjusted next week based on what we learn.”  
In addition to the bus routes, deliveries will be made to Twin Valley Middle High School for pickup from 11:30 am to 12 pm, Twin Valley Elementary School from noon to 12:30 pm, Readsboro School from noon to 12:30, and the Searsburg Town Office from 12:30 to 1 pm.  
In a statement released by Windham Central Supervisory Union, superintendent Bill Anton said WCSU schools would begin “an orderly dismissal” starting on Tuesday, March 17.  “On Wednesday, March 18, we will begin our  continuity of learning for our students. This will take many forms, from home learning packets to online learning. Each school is developing a site-specific plan to continue learning for our students. Your principal will be providing more detailed communication in the coming days.”
According to Gov. Scott’s office, continuity of learning plans must ensure children have “trackable” work to do when schools are dismissed this week, as well as a remote learning plan “that prepares for schools to be closed for a longer period.”
On Tuesday evening, Gov. Scott ordered child care centers closed, except for children of Vermonters who are responding to the coronavirus pandemic.  In his order, Gov. Scott urged child care providers to to continue serving “workers who are essential to Vermont’s ongoing effort in community mitigation of COVID-19.”
Gov. Scott also ordered schools to provide child care for “essential persons” working in response to the crisis.  
 “Teachers, child care providers and school support staff are going to be as critical to our response as our doctors, nurses and health care support staff,” said Gov. Scott in a press release Tuesday “That’s why, even as we ask the public to step back to help slow the spread of this virus, we are asking others, including our educators and child care providers, to step in and provide a critical service so those who are on the frontlines of our response can continue to care for the sick, protect the public, and manage this evolving challenge.”
The administration defined “essential persons” as health care providers, criminal justice personnel, public health employees, firefighters, Vermont National Guard personnel, other first responders and state employees determined essential, as well as staff and providers of child care and education services including custodial and kitchen staff. 
During a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Scott said the list of essential personnel would be continuously updated, and now includes some retail workers, including grocery store staff and other workers in critical supply chains.  
At Wednesday’s press conference, Gov. Scott said his efforts, beginning with his emergency declaration on Friday, were part of his effort to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic, or slow the spread to keep from overwhelming the state’s health care infrastructure.  “On Friday, to act on this strategy, I declared a state of emergency and we’ve put in place a wide range of measures to slow this pandemic. From limiting public gatherings and restricting visitors at long-term care facilities and hospitals to banning state employee work travel, encouraging and facilitating telework, extending unemployment benefits to those who have to self-isolate, and much more.”
Gov. Scott also said more measures were inevitable.  “We’re already working on a directive for hospitals to postpone elective procedures. More details will come on this and others. I will continue to make decisions based on science, data, and the guidance of an incredible team of leaders and experts I have working with me.”
Gov. Scott, like others, also compared the situation to that of Tropical Storm Irene, and said Vermonters would make it through the pandemic as they did the aftermath of the flooding.  “In times like this, Vermonters rise to the occasion. We help our neighbors.  We answer the call of duty and we get creative to solve big problems. I’m seeing it every day, from health care workers, state employees, school administrators, and business owners; from those adjusting hours at grocery stores and adding curbside service to organizing online card drives to send love to their grandparents who can’t have visitors right now, and so many more. These people, with their compassion and commitment to service, show me that we will get through this and we’ll do it together.”