The Kent School District closed classrooms at three more elementary schools on Friday, Jan. 14 due to COVID-19.
A total of four schools have closures, the highest number of classroom closures on one day in the district during the 2021-2022 school year, according to information posted on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard and school status map.
Two classrooms were closed at Soos Creek Elementary, one classroom at Ridgewood Elementary and one classroom at Meridian Elementary. The district on Jan. 12 posted a classroom closure at Kent Elementary, with a scheduled return of Jan. 18.
The district does not release the grade of the class or the number of students impacted. District officials announced Jan. 11 they plan to keep in-person learning going at schools despite the recent outbreak in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron varient across King County, the state and nation.
• Soos Creek Elementary, 12651 SE 218th Place
Status: As of Jan. 14, two classrooms are closed on the recommendation of Public Health. Otherwise, the building is open and offering in-person instruction to students in the remaining classrooms. The school is contacting all impacted families of the closed classrooms on Jan. 14. One classroom will reopen on Jan. 18, and one classroom will reopen for in-person learning on Jan. 24.
• Ridgewood Elementary, 18030 162nd Pl SE, Renton
Status: As of Jan. 14, one classrooms is closed on the recommendation of Public Health. Otherwise, the building is open and offering in-person instruction to students in the remaining classrooms. The school is contacting all impacted families of the closed classrooms on Jan. 14. The classroom will reopen on Jan. 24.
• Meridian Elementary, 25621 140th Ave. SE
Status: As of Jan. 14, one classrooms is closed on the recommendation of Public Health. Otherwise, the building is open and offering in-person instruction to students in the remaining classrooms. The school contacted all impacted families of the closed classrooms on Jan. 14. The classroom will reopen on Jan. 24.
The district explains on its website when it closes a classroom:
• Three or more students or staff in the same room/area test positive for COVID-19
• The cases have symptoms that start within 14 days of each other
• The cases are not associated with one another in another setting (household, club, etc.)
A COVID-19 outbreak in a school is considered when the following have been met:
• There are three or more COVID-19 cases among students or staff.
• The cases have a symptom onset or positive test result within a 14-day period of each other.
• The cases are epidemiologically linked.
• The cases do not share a household.
• The cases are not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting during the investigation.
If a full class needs to quarantine or a school is directed to temporarily close in response to COVID-19 transmission, then:
• Staff and families will be notified by phone, letter, and/or email of the classroom closure
• Students will shift to the 100% remote model used during the 2020-21 school year
• Schedules will mirror current 2021-22 in-person schedules
• Teachers will have two days to transition to synchronous remote learning, and learning will begin online fully by the third day for impacted classrooms
• Classroom closures will typically last 5-10 days
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