Dear Friends,

If you are eligible and having trouble finding the COVID-19 vaccine in your area, the State of Wisconsin now has a map of vaccine providers. The website not only helps link people to the vaccine but also provides information on how the state is distributing doses. The state also has a COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Hotline. The hotline is offering personal assistance for vaccine-related questions. The toll-free number is 1-844-684-1064.

While it's encouraging to see more and more communities easing their restrictions, please be careful and continue to follow CDC guidelines. That includes wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands.

As always, if you have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 608-266-5830 or by email at Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov.

On, Wisconsin!

This week, I joined more than 50 lawmakers in asking Governor Evers to direct more than $20 million in federal funding to school districts that are providing full-time, in-person learning.

The money is from the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and is meant to help with the additional costs of education during the pandemic. Since schools that are providing in-person learning have additional expenses in cleaning and room preparation, I believe more of the funding should go to those districts to cover their costs.

Kids need to be in school. The lockdowns are having a devastating effect on children's mental health and academic success. Students are falling behind and low-income, minorities, students with disabilities, and students learning English are suffering the most. We can't let our children's future be another victim of this pandemic.

This is an issue I have been working on since last summer. Last July, I joined area school administrators and elected officials in supporting guidelines for re-opening area schools and getting children back into the classroom. To help share best practices and ideas, I coordinated meetings with area lawmakers and superintendents to create a better understanding of the challenges facing local schools.

My goal was then, and remains now, to make sure children were back in the classroom. As the chair of the Senate Education Committee, I will make it a priority to help make sure students are back in the classroom.

There's a new app that will help parents find education options for their children. Recently, the Wisconsin Federation for Children released the School Finder WI app.

By entering their location, parents can evaluate schools in their area, find contact and enrollment details, and sign up for notifications for application deadlines.

Click on the picture to find out more.

One way you can help is by donating blood. If you have recovered from COVID-19, please especially consider donating your plasma.

You can find out where to donate here and here.

The table above contains data reported on March 3, 2021 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on coronavirus cases in our area.

Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker

You can sign up for emails to stay updated on when you can be vaccinated by visiting our county health department websites. Click on your county's health department for more information.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also recommends that you contact your healthcare provider to sign up to be vaccinated. You can also register with Meijer Pharmacy and they will notify you when the vaccine is available.

Students are now meeting four days per week of in-person learning. Wednesdays are held virtually.

In-person 5 days a week baseline.

Hybrid model

All of its schools are in-person, five days a week.

Its schools are all virtual. On March 8th, students will return to school in-person four days a week. Friday will be a virtual learning day.

All schools are in-person, five days a week.

All schools are in-person.

Its K4, K5, and first-grade students are in-person four days a week. Students in grades 2-8 are in a hybrid model in which students attend school in-person two days a week and virtually three days a week.

Grades 4K and 5K are in person, five days a week.

North Middle School and Menomonee Falls High School are in-person five days a week.

All schools are in-person.

All schools are virtual. There is a proposal to phase-in a return to school in April.

On January 28th, students returned to in-person learning four days a week, with Wednesdays as a virtual learning day.

The pre-K through 12 campus offers in-person learning. University School of Milwaukee students and employees need negative COVID-19 tests before they can return,

Most students will begin a phase-in to four days of in-class learning in March.