August 30, 2021 3:40 a.m.

A letter from 12 school superintendent’s in Douglas County is urging compliance with vaccine and mask mandates ordered by Governor Kate Brown.

The document said, “Our top priority remains the health and safety of our students, staff members and community as we plan to welcome children to full-time in-person learning this fall. This will require community-wide efforts due to the sharp increases in Covid cases in our area that have once again caused disruption and have now overburdened our hospitals”.

The letter was signed by the superintendents of Camas Valley, Days Creek, Elkton, Glendale, Glide, North Douglas, Oakland, Riddle, Roseburg, South Umpqua, Yoncalla, and the Douglas Education Service District. It was not signed by Sutherlin School District Superintendent Terry Prestianni and Winston-Dillard School District Superintendent Kevin Miller, who have both been critical of the mandates and asked for more local control.

The document acknowledged that many residents are frustrated by the recent mandates, while others are relieved. It said, “Regardless of personal beliefs, these requirements are our pathways forward for maximizing in-person learning and minimizing disruption to students and families. As school leaders, we and our staff are required to follow these mandates”.

The letter asked parents to follow the indoor school mask mandate if their child is returning to the classroom.

Superintendents said those who wish to advocate for change in the current requirements, can provide feedback to the Governor at: https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/share-your-opinion.aspx

The full letter is linked: https://kqen.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20230727214504/201758_abbf7da6-5e43-4289-9790-d27aa46f362d.pdf with our story at www.541radio.com