SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools and the teachers union reached an agreement Thursday to bring all sixth- through 12th-grade students back into the classroom on April 19.
Secondary students in the Special Education Intensive Service Pathways program are expected to resume in-person learning April 5.
The deal between the district and the Seattle Education Association includes four full days of instruction, according to a joint release from the union and the district.
Four mornings per week, secondary students will receive synchronous remote learning. In the afternoons, students will be offered remote and in-person small group and individual instruction. K-8 schools are the exception and will determine if sixth- through eighth-grade students will receive in-person instruction in the mornings or afternoons.
Wednesdays will continue to be completely remote.
Students who choose will attend two half days of in-person classes per week, although students in intensive service pathways will have four half days of in-person lessons.
Families who want to remain in remote learning can choose to do so for the remainder of the year.
The agreement comes after Gov. Jay Inslee mandated all Washington students must be offered some form of in-person learning by April 19, and kindergartners through sixth grade students must have the option by April.
All Seattle Public Schools pre-school students and students enrolled in Special Education Intensive Service Pathways returned to classes this week. All other kindergarten to fifth-grade students, and the remainder of students enrolled in Special Education Intensive Service Pathways, are expected to return on April 5.
The tentative agreement for secondary student instruction is subject to approval by the union members and the school board.
