SOUTH MILWAUKEE — The School District of South Milwaukee has decided to move to 100 percent virtual learning starting next Monday.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Jeff Weiss said that he is "committed to following the data this summer and intend to continue to follow the data throughout the school year."
Weiss said that the school district will re-access the decision at a meeting on Oct. 21, as well as share new COVID-19 numbers the district will have gathered at that point.
At this time, virtual learning will continue until at least Friday, Oct. 30.
The district asks families to look for an email from your student’s principal regarding specific schedule information. Elementary Virtual Academy students will remain with their virtual teacher with the same schedule.
"I was hopeful that we would not have to make this decision and my wish is that our rates go down quickly so we may return as soon as possible," Weiss wrote to families.
The district started hybrid learning on Monday, Oct. 12.
The Mayor of South Milwaukee, Erik Brooks, wrote in a blog postjust before 5 p.m. Friday that the city is tracking "deeply" concerning COVID-19 numbers (verbatim):
- South Milwaukee saw 76 new cases Oct. 9-16, our worst week so far.
- We have seen 593 confirmed cases in the city since the pandemic began about seven months ago — with 168 of them coming since Sept. 11.
- Two South Milwaukeeans died this week of the virus, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.
- Our “burden rate” — an equalized measure of how active the virus is — stood at 410.3 as of Oct. 13, with a positivity rate of 11.3%. Both are higher than the county as a whole. On Oct. 6, our burden rate was 164.05.
"We all have a responsibility and duty to take the pandemic seriously and act responsibly. Too many aren’t. Wear a mask. Socially distance. Avoid group gatherings, especially indoors. Practice good personal hygiene," said Brooks.
