Message from the Board Chairman

DR. BERNARD DUBRAY

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

FORT ZUMWALT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Dear MUSIC Member,

Since our school districts and community college members are now past the Thanksgiving break, we move on to the Christmas holiday season. We also continue to experience the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic while trying to conduct school either in-person or virtually. Recently, the Governor, DESE, and the Department of Health and Senior Services announced revised quarantine procedures that will allow those school districts meeting in-person to cut back on how many students are quarantined due to a positive case in schools. This was welcome news and, even though the CDC did not endorse this modification, the CDC has recently indicated that masks can help avoid the acquisition of the virus. The CDC has also indicated that the length of quarantine periods might be changing in the near future. So, with this information and the positive news about vaccines on the horizon, maybe we are beginning to see a “light at the end of the tunnel.”

On October 8, the MUSIC Board held the fourth Board meeting of the calendar year. Highlights included the Board approving Arthur J. Gallagher’s management services contract for 2021; a good report on the budget for 2020; and plan document changes for the next year.

In other action, the chair appointed a nominating committee to recommend Board candidates for the next one-year period. Board members Jenny Ulrich, Jeanette Cowherd, and Tracy Bottoms are completing their terms, and their director positions will be open for 2021.

The general membership meeting is scheduled for January 28 – 29. It has been determined that this meeting will be virtual. Stay tuned and watch for announcements so you can take the appropriate action to participate in our general membership meeting.

From the Board of Directors, I’d like to wish all of our members a safe and productive holiday season and express our good wishes as we continue to traverse these strange times.