Dear Parents and Community Members,
I will be making a fall opening recommendation to our school board based on the enclosed metrics and will announce their decision on Tuesday, August 11.
Gov. Jay Inslee, Superintendent Chris Reykdal and the state Department of Health announced a “decision tree” framework to help school districts determine how to resume learning this fall. The framework emphasizes that schools are not islands. Community transmission must be low in order for schools to reopen safely for in-person learning. This is difficult and uncharted territory – every other country that reopened its schools only did so when community transmission was low.
Plans regarding school reopening are made by the local health jurisdiction and school district.
DOH’s “decision tree” framework offers metrics based on three COVID-19 activity levels:
- >75 cases per 100,000 in 14 days is considered a high COVID-19 activity level for a community. At this level, DOH recommends distance learning with the option for limited in-person learning who need it most – such as children with disabilities. Sports and extracurricular activities should remain on pause.
- 25–75 cases per 100,000 in 14 days is considered a moderate COVID-19 activity level. At this level, DOH recommends distance learning as described above, with gradual expansion of in-person education, beginning with elementary students. Younger students under the age of 10 benefit the most from in-person learning while also posing less risk for transmitting COVID-19 than older students. Most sports and extracurricular activities should remain on pause.
- Below 25 cases per 100,000 in 14 days is considered a low COVID-19 activity level. At this level, DOH recommends full-time in-person learning for all elementary students and hybrid learning for middle and high school, eventually moving to in-person for middle and high school.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at rpruitt@skamania.k12.wa.us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ralph Pruitt, Superintendent