Petition for the Maine Department of Education, Maine Center for Disease Control and Janet Mills to alter guidance and policy to allow RSU 22 or other similarly situated school districts to relax social distancing standards only to the extent necessary due to other COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

These standards must be relaxed now so RSU 22 and other districts can resume full-time in person instruction for families who choose such an option this Spring and for all students in the Fall. Concerned parents across the State of Maine urge the leaders at the State level to take these actions now.  For almost a year now our children have suffered social and educational isolation, the long term effects of which we do not know.  Parents lament a drop in academic progress and standardize test scores and negative impacts to children’s physical and mental health.  These students need relief now.

RSU 22 and other districts have undertaken significant measures to mitigate the risk of spread of COVID-19 in its schools.  RSU 22 used COVID relief funding to install Needle Point Ionization systems in its school buildings.  These systems generate operating room air quality for each room in each school every 30 to 45 minutes.  These systems greatly reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and RSU 22’s actions have made the district the trendsetter in the state of Maine with regard to the health and safety of its students.  Despite this fact, the Department of Education has not allowed for the necessary means for RSU 22 to open its schools on a full time in person basis for its students. 

We respectfully demand that the Department of Education, Maine Center for Disease Control and Governor Janet Mills put our students first and relax or waive social distancing requirements for RSU 22 and districts like it.