SPOKANE, Wash. — Elementary school-aged children in the Spokane Public Schools district are back in the classroom full-time. The most recent group to return to in-person learning were third and fourth graders in the district.
Dr. Mark Anderson, SPS Associate Superintendent, said there are approximately 5,000 combined third and fourth graders in the district. But not every student returned to in person learning.
Around 100 families signed their children up for full-year online learning when the 2020-2021 school year began. Of those, 30 to 40 families asked to return in-person despite making that choice.
On the other hand, 75 families who initially wanted to return to in person schooling opted to keep their students online. That makes for a total of about 140 students who will continue online learning, which is 40 more children than the district expected.
“We’re trying to accommodate as we can,” Dr. Anderson said.
The district must ensure each in-person and online classroom is staffed with teachers and must ensure safety guidelines for in-person learners.
Elementary school classrooms in the district are big enough to safely hold 20 students per class, while maintaining six feet of distance between each child’s desk. There’s enough classroom space for every kindergarten through fourth-grade student to learn in person every day.
But that’s not the case with fifth through 12th-graders.
“The classrooms are too small with too many students,” Dr. Anderson said.
That is why the district is planning on doing a hybrid in-person and online learning model for the older grades when they are re-introduced to in-person learning. But the American Academy of Pediatrics is considering reducing their six feet social distancing recommendation down to just three feet.
If that happens, the district would consider following that new guidance if local leaders agree with the change, Dr. Anderson said. In that case, the district would likely be able to make room for every student to return to full-time in-person learning.