MILWAUKEE — Thirteen Milwaukee-area school district superintendents pleaded community members to follow COVID-19 health and safety guidelines on Monday, as schools scramble to keep coronavirus cases down while also providing quality education to their students amid the pandemic.
"Our individual actions have large implications; the education of our students relies upon a healthy and safe community. Disregarding the recommended safety measures may jeopardize the current instructional models in place," the superintendents wrote in a letter to students and their families Monday.
The superintendents acknowledged that following the guidelines - and dealing with virtual and hybrid learning - "has not been easy" for families. But they argue that "every person has a critical role" in their education by ensuring the health and safety of their communities.
"Our goal is to promote safety for everyone to ensure a greater likelihood of keeping schools open throughout the entire school year," the superintendents write.
That means students and their families need to continue maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands frequently - "key components for maintaining instruction inside of our schools."
Read their letter here.
The letter was signed by the following thirteen school district superintendents:
Dr. Monica Kelsey-Brown
Superintendent, Brown Deer School District
Dr. Jeff Dellutri
Superintendent, Fox Point-Bayside School District
Dr. Elliot Moeser
Superintendent, Glendale-River Hills School District
Mr. Timothy Joynt
Superintendent, Maple Dale-Indian Hill School District
Dr. Greg Kabara
Superintendent, Nicolet Union High School
Dr. Michael Weber
Superintendent, Port Washington-Saukville School District
Dr. John W. Thomsen
Superintendent, Whitefish Bay School District
Mr. Todd Bugnacki
Superintendent, Cedarburg School District
Mr. Brett Stousland
Superintendent, Germantown School District
Mr. Jeff Nelson
Superintendent, Grafton School District
Dr. Matthew Joynt
Superintendent, Mequon-Thiensville School District
Mr. David Karrels
Superintendent, Northern Ozaukee School District
Dr. Bryan Davis
Superintendent, Shorewood School District