It’s unsafe for a vast majority of Washington’s 1.1 million students to return to classrooms for in-person learning this fall, including in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, according to recommendations Gov. Jay Inslee and the state’s top health and education officials announced Wednesday afternoon.
The guidance offers advice to districts — but doesn’t mandate school closures or other measures — based on current local levels of community transmission of the novel coronavirus. Inslee announced the recommendations during a Wednesday press conference, where he was joined by the state’s schools chief Chris Reykdal and state health officer Dr. Kathy Lofy.
Officials said where risks are low, schools should prioritize face-to-face instruction for those who are most likely to struggle with remote learning: elementary schoolers and those with disabilities.
Schools located in “high-risk” areas, which they defined as places with more than 75 cases per 100,000 residents, should “strongly consider distance learning, with the option for limited in-person instruction” for some students, such as those with disabilities, according to the guidance.
As of Tuesday, 25 Washington counties including King, Snohomish and Pierce, were considered high risk. Schools in these counties should also consider canceling all sports and extracurricular activities, the guidance states.
Schools in the state’s nine “moderate risk” counties, including Clark and Whatcom, should consider prioritizing in-person learning for elementary school students and those who receive special education services.
Only five of the state’s counties — Asotin, Garfield, Jefferson, San Juan and Wahkiakum — are “low risk” and have logged fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 in a recent two-week period. Schools here should teach elementary schoolers in person and consider a hybrid model for older students that splits their time between in-person and remote instruction.
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