Published on June 10, 2020

At the June 9, 2020, meeting of the School Board, Superintendent Donna Wolfrom explained that all Maine school departments are awaiting direction from Gov. Janet Mills on what they can expect for the 2020-2021 school year and must be prepared for a variety of scenarios.  Recently,  Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin was informed that school openings would likely occur region by region depending on spread and outbreak data.  Whereas Cumberland County continues to have the largest number of COVID-19 cases, it would likely be one of the last to allow schools to return to full capacity.  As a result, Wolfrom speculated that Cape Elizabeth School Department "most probably will be starting school with remote learning and then hope to move into schools when data supports the move."

In the meantime, Wolfrom shared that administrators are actively creating a variety of potential plans for opening schools in the fall, noting that all versions require extra expenses.  The first option would be to have all schools open and functioning at full capacity.  This option is least likely as it would require extra space and extra staff in order to accommodate socially-distant learning classrooms.  The second option would provide a hybrid of remote learning and in-school instruction throughout the year.  This would include staggered groups of students with split schedules to maximize social distancing.  The third and least desirable option would be to provide only remote learning.  All options would follow Center for Disease Control guidelines.  Wolfrom is targeting to complete the potential plans by the end of July.