We are writing because we remain unclear as to why Lincoln Academy has not adopted a model of returning to school full-time in person. We are starting the third and final trimester of the 2020-21 school year, and to our knowledge there is no plan to return full-time in person this school year.

Last March our state and virtually all Maine schools closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the projection of a very high contraction and mortality rate from a virus which, at the time, was totally unknown. At that time Lincoln Academy was ahead of the rest and was correct as the concept of flattening the curve was adopted and Maine braced to hunker down until the COVID-19 pandemic improved.

Furthermore, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) spent much of last spring and summer developing guidelines for safe re-opening of schools. Lincoln Academy took it upon themselves to go “above and beyond” the standards issued by the Maine CDC and Maine DOE.

Because Lincoln Academy has decided to only offer a partial schedule, students are suffering academically, socially, athletically, and mentally. In specific interpretation of DOE rules, Lincoln Academy decided to consider all high school students “adults,” to which we reiterate the risks of COVID-19 do not significantly increase until after the age of 25, and there are no students in the body who are 26 or older (that we are aware).

 

Tara R. DeLisle

Paul Miner

Anthony Anderson

Heather Northrup

Cari Jewitt

Whitefield

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