After Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent announcement to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate on March 21, Mercer Island School District (MISD) Superintendent Donna Colosky said “we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
In a letter to the MISD community posted on Feb. 18, a day after Inslee’s press conference, Colosky said the governor’s update notes that students and staff will no longer be required to wear masks at school come March 21, but they are optional for those who wish to continue wearing them.
“All of us have been affected by this pandemic differently, so I ask everyone to be respectful and sensitive to the individual decisions our families and staff make during this transition,” she wrote and asked for everyone’s patience and cooperation as they navigate the upcoming changes. She added that federal regulations currently require that everyone must continue to mask up while on buses.
The district has been working closely with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) during the pandemic to ensure safety for all, and DOH will release additional updated guidance for K-12 schools by the week of March 7.
“We will continue to follow their lead as we move toward March 21. Once the statewide requirement is lifted, unless there is a local requirement from PHSKC, masks will be optional,” Colosky wrote.
She thanked the community for helping keep schools open by getting vaccinated and staying home when experiencing symptoms. She asks that everyone continue to be vigilant as the transition date nears.
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
As the search continues for a successor to retiring MISD Superintendent Colosky, the school board had nine qualified applicants in the mix as of Feb. 19.
Board President Maggie Tai Tucker noted in a letter to Island families — which was posted on the district website — that search consultant Lydia Musher recently attended the national superintendents’ conference to recruit top candidates from diverse backgrounds nationwide along with beginning some outreach to non-traditional candidates.
After phone screening candidates, Tucker and Musher plan to present a list of hopefuls to the board in an exempt session on March 7.
“At that time, the board will choose the candidates it wants to meet by Zoom and prepare the questions for those interviews. The board will select final candidates to invite for public visits later in March and will make a final selection in April,” Tucker wrote.
MERCER ISLAND PTA COUNCIL
The Mercer Island PTA Council is accepting nominations for its 2022-23 executive committee for the positions of president, vice president/president-elect, secretary and treasurer. The council is also looking for nominations for the following appointed vice president positions: advocacy; communications; diversity, equity and inclusion; and programs.
For more information about the positions and to submit nominations by March 7, email srubenfield@gmail.com.
