SALT LAKE CITY — Remote learning will be the only option in the Salt Lake City School District through at least the first quarter which ends November 9.
The decision and the thinking behind it was announced in a letter to families from Interim Superintendent, Larry Madden.
Dear families,
The priority of the Salt Lake City School District is the health and safety of our students, families, and employees. This summer, the Board of Education used data from the Salt Lake County Health Department and other public health experts to select specific metrics that would determine when it was safe to return to in-person learning in some capacity:
- a COVID-19 positive test rate in Salt Lake County below 5% for seven consecutive days, and
- a COVID-19 positive case count of fewer than 10 per 100,000 residents of Salt Lake County.
On July 30, the Board of Education used these metrics when they voted to begin the school year in remote learning for the first quarter of the year. They also committed to revisiting Salt Lake City’s COVID-19 status at midterm and at the end of each quarter to determine if it was safe to return to in-person learning.
Over the last seven days, Salt Lake County has had:
- a COVID-19 positive test rate of 11.61%, (from September 20-27, 2020) and
- a COVID-19 positive case count of 32.1 per 100,000 residents of Salt Lake County (as of yesterday, September 28, 2020).
As we approach the first midterm checkpoint, Salt Lake City has not met the metrics the Board selected to return to in-person learning. Therefore, we will continue in remote learning through the end of the first quarter, which ends on November 9.
The Board of Education will discuss plans for the second quarter at upcoming board meetings on October 6, October 20, and November 3. On October 6, I will provide a report to the Board regarding the meeting last week with district leadership and the Salt Lake County Health Department. District leaders, in coordination with the Salt Lake County Health Department, continue to work on plans for a safe return to in-person learning. As the COVID-19 situation improves, our first planning focus will be on returning younger grades to in-person learning in phases and expanding flexibility for small group instruction for classes that require in-person skill development.
You will receive a survey on Wednesday, September 30, asking for feedback about your family’s remote learning experience during the first weeks of school. The survey will come from Dr. Michelle Amiot, Director of Assessment and Evaluation (Michelle.Amiot@slcschools.org). Parents will receive a separate email for each child attending school in the Salt Lake City School District. The survey will be open through Monday, October 5.
Please note there is an independent group called Parent Voices that has been circulating their own survey to our school district community. This survey is not affiliated with the Salt Lake City School District.
You can tune in to our Board of Education meeting Tuesday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m. on our YouTube channel.
Sincerely,
Larry Madden
Interim Superintendent
Salt Lake City School District
The Salt Lake City School District is the only district in the state that has offered 100 percent remote learning and no in person classes.