SPOKANE, Wash. — Three school districts in the Spokane area announced on Monday that they will begin the 2020-2021 school year online after a recommendation from the county's health authority.
In a message sent to local school districts on Monday, Aug. 3, Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz strongly recommended that all schools begin the year with remote learning based on local coronavirus activity. He added that schools can consider in-person learning for those who have special health or education needs that cannot be delivered through this avenue.
Based on the guidance from Lutz, Spokane Public Schools, Central Valley School District and the Cheney School District announced on Monday that they will start the school year with remote learning. CVSD leaders say the district will offer three different virtual learning options for families.
“We are heartbroken and grieving that this is going to be the experience for our students in the fall," said SPS Superintendent Adam Swinyard during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
Spokane County reported 432 COVID-19 cases prior to Memorial Day weekend, compared to 3,816 cases of Friday, July 31, according to data provided by Lutz. The county's incidence rate as of Aug. 1, 2020, is 209.6 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period.
Lutz said in his message that in-person instruction has been most successfully implemented at schools internationally when COVID-19 incidence rates are "low and decreasing," or about 25 or fewer cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period.
"Given the current high level and upward trajectory of COVID-19 rates in Spokane County, cases and outbreaks in schools will likely occur," Lutz wrote. "These could negatively impact community-wide efforts to lower rates, would impose considerable demands and instability on school operations and conceivably outpace our collective efforts to control the pandemic."
SPS says distance learning has been 'revised significantly'
SPS leaders wrote in a message on Monday that the district's distance learning plan has been revised significantly from the experience students had in the spring of 2020.
The improved model includes:
- Real-time school day with teacher(s)
- Identified school start and dismissal time
- Specific times scheduled for each period/subject
- Blend of live instruction, group work, and independent activities
- Specialist & elective experiences included
- Set times for intervention support and contacting teachers
- Use of Microsoft Teams as the district-wide digital platform
- Laptop check-out for all students
- Limited in person instruction provided for small groups of students
An example of the sample schedules can be found here.
Parents who are not comfortable sending their children back to school when buildings eventually reopen can also choose to utilize the district’s distance learning option.
The district said it is in the final stages of confirming the details of its plan and will share a comprehensive document in the coming days. The plan will then go before the Spokane Public Schools' Board of Directors for approval before it is sent to the Washington state superintendent's office.
Current information about remote and in-person learning can be found on the SPS website.
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"Our goal is to open school buildings as soon as it is safe to do so based on recommendations from public health officials," the message from SPS reads.
SPS is also working with community partners and its own Express Childcare program to offer options for families impacted by distance learning.
CVSD offers three different virtual learning options
CVSD has designed three different virtual learning options that students and families can choose from for the upcoming fall. The district is asking families to make their choice by Aug. 21.
The virtual learning options are below:
- The first option is school-paced virtual learning with a preference to transition to in-person when schools are able to re-open. It will be led by CVSD teachers and allow students to have an easier transition to in-person learning when it becomes available.
- Another option is school-paced virtual learning with a preference to stay virtual for the full school year, which allows students to keep the same teachers throughout the year.
- Self-paced virtual learning will also be available for families. This option allows students to work at their own pace to complete assignments over the course of the school year, guided by CVSD teachers.
Parents, teachers, nurses, staff, administrators, community leaders and elected officials contributed to the development of the CVSD plan.
“We’re ready to provide high-quality education that meets families and students where they are – and we’re prepared to adapt as conditions change,” said CVSD Superintendent Ben Small. “Our goal is to provide an individualized approach with tailored instruction from our highly qualified teachers.”
The district has also planned for an in-person model at every grade level as soon as Spokane County meets the criteria for opening schools.
CVSD will also host a series of webinars in August to share more details and answer questions. The schedule and full reopening plan are available on the CVSD website.
“I’d like to thank you all for your partnership as we navigate these challenging times. We’re excited to welcome students back to school virtually on September 9,” Small said. “We’re ready to move forward, together.”
Cheney School District announces online instruction plan
The Cheney School District announced on Monday night that it too would begin the upcoming school year by doing virtual learning, with students not returning to classrooms.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the district said the decision came after recommendation by Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz about remote instruction given the current rate of coronavirus infections in the county.
The district shared photos of its conditional reopening plan, which includes six stages:
- Stage 1: 100% Distance Learning.
- Stage 2: 100% Distance Learning, with school buildings open to staff.
- Stage 3: Modified Hybrid Learning, with students "in the greatest need of additional support" taking part in some in-person instruction.
- Stage 4: Hybrid Learning, all students included in Stage 3 as well as some in Preschool through Fifth Grade attend school in-person part of the time. Grades six through 12 still on a distance learning model.
- Stage 5: Hybrid Learning. Kindergarten through Fifth Grade students and staff complete in-person instruction five days a week. Preschool students participate in-person with a set schedule. Grades six through 12 complete some instruction in-person.
- Stage 6: 100% In-person Learning. All students and staff carry out in-person instruction five days a week.
"This is very difficult news to share as I know our students need and want to be in school and back on campus," Superintendent Rob Roettger said in the post.
The district said it will hold a webinar on August 5 at 6 p.m. to provide additional information to parents and guardians.
"We encountered a temporary setback today, as a district we are committed to continuing to work through this situation to provide the best possible learning opportunities and support for our students and families," Roettger said.
More can be found in the district's Facebook post.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as new information is made available.