Valdez Schools and Many City Offices Go Online
Teddy bear with mask. Photo by Nenad Stojkovic. Licence: CC BY 2.0
By Allison Sayer
With the number of COVID cases continuing to rise, the City of Valdez and Valdez City Schools have transitioned to online service delivery.
On October 15, the City of Valdez announced in a press release that “All non-essential City of Valdez employees will begin working from home starting the morning of Oct. 19. Non-essential employees will work from home for a two-week period and returning to work or continuing to work from home will be evaluated and clarified to city staff before Nov. 1.”
Furthermore, “All City of Valdez-sponsored events, including major activities through Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, will end at 5 p.m. today for the next two weeks. The Valdez Public Library will work to reinstitute curbside pickups and the Valdez Pool, Civic Center Movies, Rock Wall and Teen Center will be closed along with canceling any other upcoming activities for the next two weeks.”
City services will remain available, but residents are encouraged to utilize contactless delivery methods whenever possible.
The City of Valdez press release continued, “This measure is being taken to help the City of Valdez lead by example regarding the importance of social distancing, and this will also provide an opportunity for the City of Valdez to establish better reporting processes to help with getting through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Over the weekend, Valdez families received a letter via email from the Valdez School District announcing schools would move to distance delivery for ten days starting October 16. The letter continued, “During the period of distance learning [extra-curricular] activities and [sports] practice are being evaluated. Coaches will contact players with updated information. The wrestling meet scheduled for October 22nd and 23rd has been cancelled.”
The letter continued, “This news may come as a surprise to some because VCS has echoed our commitment to in-person learning. Keeping kids in school with face-to-face learning is our goal. We can’t, however, ignore the realities happening in our city. As of October 15, there were 92 active cases of COVID in Valdez. COVID cases continue to rise in the schools, and that rise is having an impact on teaching and learning. As of October 15, there were 29 active COVID cases in the district. This past week HHES averaged 60-plus student absences. A similar number was shared at GMS. Teachers and staff are working hard to keep up but are finding the task difficult.”
The letter continued, “As we take these 10 days to hopefully get a clearer picture of our next steps, families can do their part as well. Vaccinations are one way to slow the spread of COVID. Vaccinations are available in Valdez. DHSS and the CDC have provided specific guidance for vaccinated students which would allow schools to remain open to in-person learning. During these 10 days, limit the circle of people you are in contact with. Wear a mask in public buildings and small spaces where people are gathering. If you are sick, stay home.”
The district acknowledged that transitioning to online learning would have “unintended consequences” for local families.
Both the school district and the city have made additional COVID testing resources available, as local testing resources have been outpaced by demand.