November 12, 2021

District COVID-19 Active Positive Cases

  • Total number of students and staff in isolation (currently positive) for COVID-19: eleven (11)
  • Current district facilities with known positive cases: John Cline Elementary, Carrie Lee Elementary, Decorah Middle School

DCSD reports COVID-19 data in alignment with the direction of the Iowa Department of Public Health. The full guidance can be found at the link below.

IDPH Information Sharing Guidance for Schools and Local Public Health

Veterans Day Observance

Decorah Community School District has a long tradition of honoring Veterans Day and using the day as a wonderful learning opportunity for students. Over the past two years, the pandemic has forced schools to rethink past practices such as in-person assemblies and having visitors in the classrooms. While methods have changed, teachers and students continue to find authentic ways to learn about, recognize, and celebrate Veterans Day and local veterans.

The link below contains a video sharing how Decorah Middle School recognized Veterans Day this week.

DMS Veteran’s Day Video

In his weekly message to families, Superintendent Mark Lane shared the following:

“Earlier today, I shared with our teachers that I have submitted a letter of resignation to our board of directors effective at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year. I submitted this letter to the board with a heavy heart because it is not aligned with the plan I had in mind when I accepted the offer to serve as Superintendent of Decorah Schools. You can read the full text of my letter to the board below.”

Dear Decorah CSD Board of Directors:

Please accept my letter of resignation effective at the completion of the 2021-2022 fiscal year. My last day of work will be Thursday, June 30, 2022. I am resigning my position due to family circumstances that lead us to feel a need to live in closer proximity to our parents, adult children, siblings, and nieces and nephews.

Working with you and the staff of Decorah Schools has been an incredible honor and pleasure. Decorah is an exemplary public school system, and that is true because of the people who serve our students and community.

Over the past 26 years, my family has lived a life in deference to my career ambitions. I have always been able to pursue the work I felt called to do because my wife and children were willing to support me and follow my lead. Over the past year, we have decided that is no longer the way we want to live. We are now centering our lives on family first.

At this time, I don’t know what I will do next in my work life. Carla and I do know we want to be able to be over to our parents’ homes in 10 to 15 minutes to help with yard work, or to be available to babysit our nephews and nieces so our siblings can have a date night with their partners. We also have faith that work opportunities that suit these wants will come along.

I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work and live in Decorah. I am especially thankful to the teachers who served my son in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. He has had wonderful learning experiences, and I know when he is an adult, he will recall his Decorah teachers with great admiration and fondness.

Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to serve as superintendent. I am proud of what we have done together.

Sincerely,

Mark M. Lane

Lane wrote to families, “I have and will continue to enjoy this job and the people with whom I work. It will be incredibly difficult to walk away from this work, but life circumstances change, and I am grateful for the support, kindness, and understanding of our board and staff.”