Students will be in La Conner classrooms in fall

When school reopens here in the fall it promises to be a learning experience for all involved.

Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced last Thursday that he anticipates school districts reopening buildings and providing in-person instruction in the fall, should public health standards permit.

Reykdal outlined goals for the upcoming school year while releasing a detailed report compiled by teachers, parents, students, and civic leaders that outlines what school could look like come September.

Little, however, is carved in stone given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

La Conner Schools and other districts across Washington will be doing plenty of summer homework getting campuses ready for regular face-to-face class schedules this fall.

“We are going to prepare for a variety of scenarios,” La Conner Superintendent Dr. Whitney Meissner told the Weekly News, “but we really were waiting for the guidance from OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) to start our planning.”

Reykdal cited several COVID-19 related precautions schools will need to implement going forward.

“We know we have to continue social distancing guidelines – students and staff in masks and six-feet apart,” said Meissner. “So, we have a lot of work to do.”

Schools will be expected to screen students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms before being allowed in campus buildings, the report indicates.

In addition, guidelines Reykdal shared last week – some of which were suggested by the state Department of Health – propose that cafeterias, auditoriums and gymnasiums be employed as classrooms to assure social distancing.

Students may be asked to eat lunch in their classrooms.

Schools are also being urged to develop new cleaning and disinfecting strategies – this at a time when many districts will face anticipated steep budget shortfalls and perhaps personnel cuts as a result of falling revenues linked to an economic shutdown intended to curb spread of the coronavirus.

State officials had earlier considered phasing in school start dates, rotating students through buildings, scheduling staggered classes or offering a hybrid of in-person and on-line instruction.

Reykdal said the decision to aim for resuming in-person learning was based on research confirming the effectiveness of masks in preventing spread of the virus and that children appear spared from the worst effects of COVID-19.

Just how much school will reflect familiar norms remains unclear.

“It’s really too early to say,” Meissner said, “but what we heard from Superintendent Reykdal is that he expects schools to offer 180 days of learning and 1,027 hours of instruction.”

Washington state’s schools were closed in March because of the COVID-19 threat.