The Following is a statement from La Porte Community Schools Superintendent Mark D. Francesconi:

We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation this week as we transition to the updated
COVID-19 Intervention Plan. Our schools have demonstrated their commitment to keeping
healthy students in the classroom. As always, we respect direct feedback from our school
community, and have received numerous phone calls and emails from people voicing their
support, as well as concern regarding the face covering requirement.

This week we received a petition against the face covering requirement stated in the recent
COVID-19 plan. As well, a peaceful protest was held Thursday morning outside of the
corporation educational services building. We also received reports that a student walkout was
planned at the high school resulting in our staff monitoring the halls and doors for purposes of
student safety and accountability. A report to the fire department led to city fire officials coming
to the high school to investigate claims that staff locked doors and blocked students from
exiting. Their conclusion was that the report was false.

These are challenging times and we acknowledge the charged atmosphere surrounding
COVID-19 science and guidance, masking mandates, parent choice, freedom, and decisions
surrounding these issues. It is important to reiterate that the decision to move forward with a
face covering requirement was a result of the recent quarantine guideline changes made by the
State of Indiana. Since the beginning of the school year, we have had to quarantine nearly 450
healthy individuals due to close contact tracing. Complying with this change only strengthens
the safety of our schools and significantly lowers the number of quarantined students, aligning
with the LPCSC focus of avoiding disruptions of the educational process by keeping healthy
students in the classroom with their teachers and peers.

We will continue monitoring our data and reviewing any updates and guidance. Your
cooperation and support are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Dr. Mark D. Francesconi, Superintendent