3/14/20
Dear Brewer Families
I know that most of you will have been following recent news regarding school closings in the State of Maine.
I am announcing that Brewer Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16. The length of our closure and details around possible options for students during that time will be determined at a meeting of our administrative team tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, 2020 and discussed with our staff on Monday then shared with the Brewer Community at that time through email and a posting on our website.
The decision to close is based on input from the Maine Center for Disease Control and the Maine Department of Education, and it acknowledges the rapidly changing situation. The major concern remains the gathering of crowds. Our buildings are being cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis, and there are no reported cases of COVID-19 among our students. However, it is clear we cannot continue with business as usual at this point in time.
Please know I do not take this action lightly and will provide you with detailed communication around our closure that will include options for engaging in learning, possible food service alternatives, along with other details. I want the Brewer School Department to be both calm and thoughtful in our approach and not make rash decisions.
I am proud of how our school leaders, staff, and our students have handled themselves these past days and weeks as stories about the health crisis have circulated in the media. Leadership will honor that sense of mature responsibility by carrying ourselves in exactly that manner.
You will hear from me again no later than noon on Monday, March 16, 2020.
Sincerely,
Gregg Palmer, Superintendent of Schools