On Monday, March 1st at 5 pm an email was sent out to all students, parents, and faculty in the Amphitheater District regarding the return to school after Spring Break. While the email to the faculty was more detailed, everyone got the same message; that Amphi schools will be returning to full-time education on March 22nd.

There are many questions circulating about this new development and nothing has been decided completely or finalized yet. The District members want what is best for all students and faculty and with COVID-19 data improving, they have decided that it is possible to safely reopen the schools. 

In an email sent to the Amphi staff by Superintendent Todd Jaeger he stated that, “In the year since schools first closed, science and health official guidance has evolved substantially, and we are now at the point where an abundance of research shows that schools are safe – they may well be the safest places for children to be – because of their consistent application of mitigation measures.” 

Obviously, the decision to return to full-time, in-person school will be met with many challenges and backlash. The District has come up with several factors that they say will impact their final decision. The improvements in COVID-19 conditions need to continue and there needs to be an alternative for families or students who either don’t feel comfortable coming full-time or those who are unable to do it as well.

In his email, Superintendent Jaeger mentions that when the return to full-time, in-person learning  happens, all of the current mitigation strategies will need to be continued by students and staff. Masks will be required, hand washing and sanitizer, social distancing as much as possible, additional custodial staff to perform touch point cleaning, and a continued commitment to contact-tracing. 

While there is still a lot to be determined, the target date for reopening is March 22 and we can expect many updates before then about the situation. Stay tuned here for more updates!