Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

For the last five months, the Haines Borough School District has been trying to figure out how to safely hold in-person classes for students. Students started off this school year slowly, only attending school for two days a week to make sure that everyone (students, staff, and parents) became familiar with new systems put in place because of the pandemic. On Tuesday, the school board voted to increase in-person classes from two to five days a week with all students in the building at the same time, starting on September 8th. Many school districts throughout Alaska are delivering classes either totally online or as a combination of online and in-person. However, our students have the opportunity to attend school in-person because the community has kept transmission of the coronavirus low. The District has assembled a Health Advisory Committee that will be monitoring factors such as case numbers, community transmission, and local and regional health capacity to make recommendations to the school board about how to proceed with in-person classes as things change. Keeping case numbers and transmission low in our community by taking health protective measures will ensure that the school can stay open. On behalf of the school board, thank you for all of the efforts that you make to support the school and its students.

Anne Marie Palmieri President

Haines Borough School District School Board