This letter from Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Terry Wood to families was posted at wiscassetschools.org Saturday:

Due to the recent press release from Maine’s Commissioner of Education, encouraging schools to begin to plan for emergency remote learning for the remainder of the school year, it has been clarified that the intent of that message was to effectively close all schools to classroom/group instruction through the end of the academic year.

Therefore, I am writing to let you know that Wiscasset Schools will continue to implement emergency remote learning through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. This means that both schools will remain closed to in-person classes for the remainder of the year. This is a very difficult and painful decision, but one that’s made in the best interest of the health and safety of our students, staff, and families. All of us want our students to return to school, but we need to do our part to avoid exposing anyone to unnecessary risk.

For our students, we realize it is disappointing to go so long without interacting with your teachers in person and seeing your friends in the hallways, at lunch, and in other school activities. I share in your disappointment that so many wonderful end-of-the-year celebrations of our students will not be enjoyed in their traditional settings.

All school staff will be working on plans to determine how best to provide closure and recognition for students. Regarding graduation, we are looking into possibilities for this special occasion to still occur. There are still many questions that cannot be answered at this point in time, but please know that honoring and recognizing our students for their accomplishments is very important to us as a school community.

The district is updating and refining our emergency remote learning plans. We appreciate the support and cooperation of our families as we have made the shift to remote learning. For parents and staff members, we understand the burden this places on you to continue to manage all of this at home. We encourage families to continue reaching out to our staff members for further assistance during this unchartered time as our goal is to support you and your family members in any way that we can.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this difficult time dealing with a crisis that we have never had to deal with as a state and a country. Please continue to follow CDCs guidelines and recommendations for your health and safety at this time.