A message from Isaac Seevers:

Greetings Lebanon Warrior Community,

First, I want to commend the Lebanon staff, students, parents, and community for prioritizing in-person student learning this past school year. You were truly a leader in the safe reopening of school last fall and a district that many looked to for guidance as they sought to open their schools. It is our priority to continue to be seen as a leader as we open this fall. Your willingness to comply with the health and safety guidelines is commendable and is evidenced in the fact that you remained in school all year long. This has taken a community effort and we look forward to a successful return to school in the fall of 2021, with all students in our classrooms. 

This summer, Governor DeWine and the Department of Health lifted all health orders and rescinded the state of emergency in Ohio. As of June 2, 2021, the expiring health orders have been rescinded for schools as well. We want to be clear that COVID-19 is still active in our community and we must all continue to be mindful of the health and safety of each other in our school environments. We will continue to be responsible and respectful as we return to a more typical school environment. 

Please note that some of the practices that were adopted last school year will remain in place for the 21-22 school year. These practices include hand washing routines, hand sanitizing stations, thorough cleaning practices, and the use of hands-free water bottle filling stations. We will continue to ask staff and students to monitor their health daily and to stay home when they are ill, especially when experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Your attention to detail with these practices this past school year helped prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 in our schools and also reduced the spread of seasonal colds, flus and other illnesses. 

The District has received specific questions and feedback regarding the requirement of masks in schools this fall. At this time, individuals are still permitted to wear masks in school or at school-related events, but it is not a mandatory requirement. There may be periods of time where illnesses increase in our facilities, and in those cases we may issue recommendations for increased precautions, including the encouragement to wear masks. Our Board of Education policy on masks states that the district will follow mandates and requirements from directing entities like the federal government, Ohio Governor, Ohio State Health Department, and the Warren County Health Department.  This means that if a mask mandate is issued, our district will follow it.

We have posted the full version of our Safe Return to In-Person Learning plan on our website. We are asking that you review the plan and consider providing your thoughts, questions, and concerns in a new feedback tool called ThoughtExchange. ThoughtExchange is an anonymous online form that allows you to provide feedback on a specific topic and then evaluate the thoughts of others. This can be an extremely useful tool and we encourage you to check out the exchange at https://tejoin.com/130151860. 

We truly appreciate our students, staff, and families dedication to follow public health orders throughout the past year. Your efforts allowed us to complete the 20-21 school year in a positive, healthy way for our staff and students!  We look forward to carrying that momentum into the 21-22 school year!  

Onward Lebanon, Isaac W. Seevers