Good Afternoon Washington Local,

The best season in Ohio is in full swing and it feels great to see many of our Washington Local traditions return. It was so good to see many of you at the Snake Dance on Thursday. Homecoming was a great success, and we are looking forward to many of our fall activities that can safely take place outside. Outside events are the safest events and we hope for a beautiful fall that will allow us to keep our traditions going.

As previously communicated, as long as we have a K-12 indoor mask policy, we can avoid most quarantines and keep our schools open. This is especially true on the bus where, as the weather begins to get cooler, it will be more important than ever to remain safe. Masks are required by federal directive on all school buses. Please review bus rules with your students so everyone can arrive at school and home safely each day. However, even with all the precautions in place, our positive cases among young people -- especially those who are unvaccinated -- are mirroring the community. As a reminder, please have a plan in place in the event we would have to quickly pivot to remote learning.

Just like many other districts and businesses, we have open positions. Last week, you may have heard about a local district that had to cancel some bus routes. We are definitely experiencing bus driver shortages, as well as shortages in several other positions. We offer free training and would welcome applicants for open and substitute positions. We want to keep schools open and it will take the entire village to do so. If you have a few hours a week, we encourage you to apply.

Everyone is working really hard to ensure our kids have the very best experience each day. Please remind students to be respectful to the bus driver and monitors who are working hard to keep everyone safe. We understand that masks may occasionally slip, but when reminded, let's be aware that this reminder allows us to stay in school and stay safe.

Every Student Matters; Every Moment Counts!

Kadee Anstadt, Ed.D.
Superintendent/CEO
Washington Local Schools
3505 W. Lincolnshire Blvd.
Toledo, OH 43606
419-473-8220