SPOKANE, Wash. — Some school districts in Spokane County have decided to allow students to return to classrooms in the fall despite a recommendation for virtual learning from both Dr. Bob Lutz, who serves as health officer for the region, and state officials.
Mead School District has approved in-person classes for K-5 students and a hybrid learning model for grades 6-12. Families that are uncomfortable with a return to in-person learning can choose virtual learning instead.
The East Valley School District also decided at a recent board meeting to begin the 2020-2021 school year in a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning.
Other districts, including Spokane Public Schools, Central Valley School District and Cheney School District, will begin the school year with virtual learning following Lutz's recommendation.
“Based on our rates, the existing science regarding COVID-19, and school reopening, I strongly recommend beginning the year in remote/continuous learning for all students," reads Lutz's message sent to schools last week.
In a press conference on Monday, Lutz expressed disappointment with districts that have decided to reopen school buildings in the fall.
“I’m disappointed that school districts, in spite of the strong recommendation that they look at remote primarily, that they’ve chosen those hybrids given our incidence rates," he said.
Lutz also addressed comments from an incoming student of the Mead School District who said in-person learning is "worth the risk."
“I guess my question is: It’s worth the risk to whom? It’s worth the risk to your child? It’s worth the risk to your family? It’s worth the risk to the other children in the class, to the school, to the community?" Lutz said.
Health leaders in Spokane County are "very concerned" about secondary students in particular, meaning those in grades 6-12, and their ability to transmit COVID-19 to others, Lutz added.
When school buildings reopen, Lutz said he fully expects to see coronavirus cases and outbreaks are "very likely." An outbreak is considered two or more coronavirus cases in one classroom.
Washington state has released guidance for schools that have COVID-19 outbreaks or students exhibiting symptoms similar to those of the virus, which Lutz outlined on Monday.
Children with symptoms similar to COVID-19, such as cough, fever or sore throat, should be excused from school under current guidelines, Lutz said. They can return to school 10 days after symptoms began, or after 72 hours without a fever if they test negative for coronavirus.
“We will see significant disruptions potentially for those young people who present with a symptom and therefore find themselves being removed from school," Lutz said.
If there are two positive cases within a classroom, the entire classroom should be quarantined for less than 14 days under current guidance.
In schools of less than 10 classrooms, the entire school would be quarantined for 14 days. In larger schools with more than 10 classrooms, current guidance says everyone in the school should quarantine for 14 days if 10% of classrooms are impacted by one or more students with the virus.
The local superintendent and health officer have the authority to close a school, with the health officer holding ultimate authority, according to the state.
Under current recommendations from the state, Washington counties are considered “low-risk” if the rate of infection is less than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period. For those counties, the state still initially encourages a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning for middle and high school students, and full-time in-person learning for all elementary students.
Spokane County is currently sitting in the high-risk category, which includes counties with more than 75 cases per 100,000 residents. These counties should “strongly consider” distance learning, with the option for limited in-person instruction for students with the highest need.
The incidence rate in Spokane County is currently sitting at more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents. Lutz said the county has not seen an incidence rate of less than 25 cases per 100,000 residents since the time before Memorial Day weekend, when Spokane County entered into Phase 2 of reopening.
Lutz said he does not expect the county's incidence rate to fall to 25 per 100,000 in the foreseeable future. That means it could be months before he recommends that students return to schools for in-person instruction.
