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Dear RRSD Families:

Due to multiple quarantines of key staff at the Jr/Sr High School, we will need to postpone the start of the Jr/Sr High School for one week. The new start date for our middle and high school students is Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

Rogue River Elementary School and South Valley Academy will still have school as planned and will begin tomorrow morning, August 30, 2021.

This was an incredibly difficult decision to make on short notice, but as the weekend progressed, more quarantines made it clear that we would not have the staff we needed at RRJSHS to have an orderly and strong start to the year. We know this is likely a great disappointment to many. We share in that disappointment with you.

Later this afternoon or evening you should receive more detailed information from the leaders of RRJSHS regarding student registration, the start of the school year, sports and more. There will be administrative staff available at the Jr/Sr High School throughout the week to help you with any questions or concerns you may have.

You can reach the Jr/Sr High School front office at (541)-582-3297.

Thank you for extending grace and patience to us during this pandemic.

Sincerely,

Patrick Lee
Superintendent
Rogue River School District #35

Dear Rogue River School District Community:

The first day of school is quickly approaching. School leaders and staff are excited and busily preparing. On August 30, we will welcome back our students for in-person instruction all day, every day. I am thrilled to have our students back full time, and I want to work with you to ensure we can keep it that way.

With COVID-19 taking a heavy toll on our hospitals and our community right now, it will be more important than ever that we emphasize safety and good hygiene. We have many protocols in place at our schools to help us protect staff and students. You can help by making sure to keep your child at home when they have any signs or symptoms of illness.

On August 12, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) adopted (OAR 333-019-1015) requiring masks to be worn in schools until further notice. This is a law that the RRSD as a government entity must follow. Failing to do so would lead to fines, legal liability for staff and board members, loss of licensure for staff, and loss of insurance coverage for the District.

At their August 17, 2021 meeting, the RRSD Board passed a resolution to, “urge Governor Brown to return local control and change the recent Oregon State COVID-19 requirements to recommendations and allow Rogue River School District to work directly with Jackson County Public Health to determine the appropriate mitigation strategies for our schools.” The RRSD is joining with several other southern Oregon school districts in making this resolution. Though the RRSD Board disagrees with our local authority being taken away from us and the local health department on this matter, we will follow the law regarding masks in public buildings.

New quarantine guidelines from OHA will help to keep students in school. When students all wear their masks and maintain 3 feet of social distance, they are not required to quarantine if exposed to a COVID-19 case. This means less disruption to school, fewer days missed, and fewer families having to miss work or scramble to figure out childcare on short notice.

This pandemic has created so many challenges and obstacles for our students. I hope we can all come together and do as much as possible to keep our students and staff safe and in our classrooms all day, every day.

We look forward to seeing your children on August 30th!

Sincerely,

Patrick Lee
Superintendent
Rogue River School District #35

July 29, 2021 UPDATE

To the Rogue River School District Staff, Students, Families, and Community:

Today, the Governor directed the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to write a rule requiring face coverings in indoor school settings for all K-12 students and staff during the 2021-2022 school year. You can read the Governor’s message here.

This is a change of course from what we were told one week ago by ODE with the release of new guidance which indicated masking would be a decision that could be made at the local level.  With the Governor's new directive, we no longer have that option for the fall of the 2021-2022 school year.  

We will continue to update you on school opening plans in the next few weeks.  We remain excited to have our students back on campus all day every day, and for those who are not comfortable with in person learning, South Valley Academy is our local option that has been successfully serving students for three years. If you are seeking a distance learning option, South Valley Academy can accommodate you as part of their model.

No matter what the pandemic throws at us, our commitment continues to be deeply focused on providing our students a safe, supportive, loving, and high-quality education.

Respectfully,

Patrick Lee
Superintendent

July 08, 2021 UPDATE

The RRSD is proud to announce that we have hired Dan Smith to be the next principal of RRJSHS.

Dan has 20 years of administrative experience in the Rogue Valley.  He has been a principal at North Middle School in Grants Pass, Hedrick Middle School in Medford, and most recently at North Medford High School.

Dan has built a home in Rogue River.  He desires to work at a smaller school in a tighter knit community that he can be highly involved in.

He was chosen based on his exceptional experience as an educational leader, his passionate focus on student success, and his excellent references for being a collaborative and relational leader.  I am truly excited to have Dan be a part of the RRSD.  I believe his leadership will continue to grow and improve RRJSHS and the community of Rogue River.

Eleven staff from RRJSHS contributed to the search process along with 4 district administrators, 3 parents, and several students from our leadership class.  We were blessed with many strong candidates.  We should all take it with pride that so many qualified candidates applied for our position at RRJSHS.

Sincerely,

Patrick Lee
Superintendent