Dear Tribal Leader Letter: BIE School Reopening

Dear Tribal Leader:

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) would like your input on its school reopening plans. The BIE will rely upon the latest U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding reopening its K-12 schools, residential facilities, and post-secondary schools for safe delivery of in-person and hybrid instruction.

Further, BIE is considering additional items that are beyond ED and CDC guidance as it undertakes the plan updates. The items include:

• What is needed to ensure student safety when using commercial transportation services before students travel to a residential facility and when they travel home?
• Would you recommend that students be vaccinated before arriving on campus if vaccinations are available?
• What are your recommendations to serve students that plan to attend residential facilities and post-secondary institutions from communities with high rates of COVID-19?
• Are there any recommendations for grades K-12 and residential facilities not already addressed by ED and CDC reopening guidance that requires additional clarification or guidance by BIE?

The BIE-operated schools include three categories, each of which BIE will plan for separately:

1. Schools serving grades K 12;
2. BIE residential facilities;
3. Post-secondary institutions (specifically, Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI))

The intended purpose of the Tribal consultation and stakeholder engagement is to ensure that BIE is meeting the needs of its students, schools, and Tribal communities during the COVID -19 Pandemic recovery.

Webinar sessions are scheduled for:

K-12 and Residential Facilities
May 10, 2021
3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
The webinar link to this meeting is no longer valid.