In this message:
• COVID-19 Dashboard: Check out 4J's upgraded case and quarantine tracker
• Parent Webinar: Submit questions now for COVID info session November 9
• Kitchen Closures: Meal prep moves off-site at 6 schools due to staff shortage
• Driver Incentives: 4J raises pay, provides bonuses for transportation staff
• COVID Vaccines for Kids: FDA authorization for ages 5–11 may come soon
• School Report Cards: State publishes profile reports for schools and districts
• Zoom Update: No login needed, no accounts with 4J student addresses allowed
• Join Our Team: Serve local youth and community—come work or sub with 4J!

4J COVID-19 Case Dashboard Upgraded

Online tool provides current information about COVID-19 cases and quarantines among students and staff in school buildings

Eugene School District 4J has launched a major upgrade of the online COVID-19 case dashboard to keep the community informed about active cases and quarantines among students and staff.

The dashboard is as real-time as possible, updated as cases are identified and tracked, to provide our school community access to current, relevant information.

The new dashboard includes the following information:

• Current COVID-19 cases among students and staff
• Current COVID-19 quarantines among students and staff
• Current cases and quarantines by school
• Whether quarantines are due to exposure at school or outside of school
• Percentage of 4J’s student population in quarantine or isolation
• Percentage of 4J regular staff who are fully vaccinated
• Interactive map showing current cases at 4J’s 32 school buildings

The district is deeply committed to the health and safety of students and staff and has implemented comprehensive protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in school buildings. The district also conducts robust contact tracing when a person who has been at school on-site is identified as having COVID-19, to identify which students and staff may have been in close contact with the positive case.

4J schools’ high standard of safety protocols and contact tracing both reduce the likelihood of transmission between people at school, and reduce the number of students who must quarantine away from school due to exposure to COVID-19. Our priorities are the health and safety of our students and staff, and keeping students learning in school as much as possible. 

Parent Info Session: COVID-19 & Schools 

What happens when there's a COVID case at school? Parent information webinar on Nov. 9 will answer questions about COVID cases and quarantines 

Eugene School District 4J is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff. The district is holding an informational webinar on November 9 to keep our families up to date about COVID-19 and schools.

District staff will cover frequently requested information including COVID-19 vaccines, testing, contact tracing, quarantine requirements, case notification, and how families can change between in-person and online learning programs. 

The webinar also will address some frequently asked questions submitted in advance; there will not be a live Q&A session. If you have questions you'd like to see covered, please share them by Sunday, November 7.

Parent Information Webinar: COVID-19 Cases & Quarantines
Tuesday, November 9, 5:30 p.m. 
Submit questions  |  Invite friends  |  Zoom link 

Making Do: School Kitchens Consolidate Due to Staffing Shortage

Meals are prepared at other schools and delivered to sites without kitchens, to keep providing free meals for all students • We're hiring! Regular, temporary and substitute food service staff needed

Our school district is facing a severe staffing shortage that impacts many of the services provided to students and families. Classrooms are affected by a shortage of educational assistants and substitute teachers. School bus routes have been reconfigured, consolidated and in some cases canceled. School meals are another area greatly impacted by the lack of staff.

To continue providing free nutritious meals to students without interruption, the district has made the difficult decision to close kitchens at six schools and consolidate operations. Meals for these six schools are being made at nearby schools, then driven over and assembled on-site. 

Schools are being creative, drawing on educational assistants, custodians, counselors, principals and peers to help. At McCornack Elementary School, fourth and fifth graders traditionally help in the cafeteria, a service learning privilege the younger students eagerly look forward to. Since their school kitchen closed last week, assistance from the students is especially helpful.

Wearing bright yellow “School Lunch Hero” aprons, the student helpers buzz around the kitchen and cafeteria, assembling lunches made at a nearby school and then delivering the meals to classrooms. A fourth-grader reported that she’s loving the new job and is learning many new things.

"We've got kids who are capable, and there's huge value because it feels good and it's a real authentic experience," Principal Dana Brummett said.

Join Team Eugene! We're hiring food service assistants and leads, temporary and substitute staff. Kitchens will reopen as pre-pandemic staffing levels are regained.

Join Team Eugene's Driving Force!

Bus driver starting pay now over $20 per hour • Temporary 25% wage boost plus $1500 in bonuses for transportation staff

Like many other employers, 4J is facing monumental labor shortages, including an extreme shortage of bus drivers. To help maintain vital services for students, the district is offering significant pay boosts for transportation employees this year.

The district has increased hourly wages by 25% for transportation staff through the rest of the 2021–22 school year. In addition, employees who stay in transportation positions also will receive $1500 in bonuses over the course of the year.

Eligible employees are bus and van drivers (no experience necessary, we'll pay you to get trained!), bus aides, dispatch support, mechanics, routers, route planning coordinators and trainers.

With the increase, the starting wage for bus drivers after completing training is now over $20 per hour this school year. Wages for experienced bus drivers at the top of the pay scale have increased to $25.39 per hour this school year.

The wage increase and bonuses are in addition to efforts including ramped up recruiting, consolidation and cancelation of bus routes, reimbursement to families for transporting students, and enlisting transportation trainers, routers, mechanics and managers to drive routes, on top of their normal job responsibilities.

While the driver shortage continues, families should be prepared for bus delays, service interruptions, and possible route cancelations. 4J's Safe Routes to School coordinator can help with route finding for active and shared transportation to walk, bike, or carpool to school. 4J students also can get a free LTD bus pass.

Looking for a rewarding job? Want to help support students, schools and your community? Join Team Eugene and be a part of our driving force!