The Kent School District released its plan for a return this fall to in-person learning five days a week.
“Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in fall 2021 is a priority,” according to a district statement. “We all play a part in returning safely to school and staying healthy all year. We are implementing layered prevention strategies to keep everyone healthy and return to in-person learning safely, especially those not yet able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.”
The first day of school is Aug. 26.
The district statement said it is committed to layering safety mitigation and prevention measures aligned to Washington State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, including:
• Face coverings/masks
• Physical distancing
• Improved ventilation
• Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Cleaning and disinfecting
• Communicating with families and staff, especially about staying home when sick
• Seeking evaluation, testing as indicated
• Contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation
• Meeting the reporting requirements to public health
The state’s priority is for students to safely return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. The updated K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-2022 school year indicate the following:
• Maximize in-person instruction and reduce exclusions due to quarantine and keep schools open and prevent temporary closures due to large outbreaks
• Minimize transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff in K-12 schools, their families, and the community by layering safety mitigation strategies
• Require all students, staff, volunteers, and visitors to wear face coverings or masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, when around others. Staff verified to be fully vaccinated may be indoors without masks when students are not present or expected to be present. Face coverings/masks are not required outdoors, regardless of vaccination status
• Require passengers and drivers to wear a face-covering/mask on school buses. The CDC’s order requiring masks on public transportation, regardless of vaccination status, applies to school buses and transportation
• Maintain a physical distance of 3 feet or more between students in classroom settings to the degree possible and reasonable that allows for full-time, in-person learning for all students. A school’s ability to do so will depend on students’ ages, developmental and physical abilities, and available space
• Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and contact their healthcare provider for testing and care
• Close contacts with symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the steps under What to Do if Someone Develops Symptoms of COVID-19 While at School found on the state Department of Health website
Kent School District is looking at how to ensure access to timely diagnostic testing among students with symptoms or who is a close contact with someone with COVID-19. Timely testing of symptomatic students and staff helps reduce days of in-person instruction lost.
Additionally, Kent School District staff will soon have access to a vaccination verification form, and personal protective equipment is available for staff and students who cannot provide their own.
The district will explore full-time, long-term remote learning as an option for the students in the future. This exploration for a robust, sustainable remote learning option will occur over the school year in partnership with district labor partners. Information will be provided when it is available, according to the district’s statement.
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