Back-to-school resource guide: How districts will handle COVID-19 safety
As kids return to class in western Washington, here is what to expect for COVID-19 safety in schools – including what happens if there’s an outbreak.
With the 2021-22 school year underway, students and educators are navigating daily life with the addition of COVID-19 policies.
Many health safety measures will look the same in schools across Washington state, with the expectation districts are following the latest guidance from the Department of Health.
Though all school staff must be vaccinated by Aug. 18 per the mandate handed down by Gov. Jay Inslee, the mandate does not include students. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines have not been approved for people under the age of 12.
Learning models vary from district to district, with some offering in-person and remote learning for all students, to no remote option for any student.
Below are the learning options for Washington state's 11 largest school districts and COVID-19 guidelines.
Learning options by school district
Bellevue School District
Start date: September 1
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: The Bellevue School District Virtual Academy is fully online and available for K-12 for those who choose to stay 100% remote. Students can return to in-person learning. It is suggested middle school students do so at the end of a term and high schoolers wait until the next semester.
Edmonds School District
Start date: September 8
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: The Edmonds K-8 Online Academy will include other students who have chosen to go fully remote for the 2021-22 school year. Edmonds eLearning Academy is available for students in ninth through 12th grade.
Everett Public Schools
Start date: September 8
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: Everett Virtual Academy is available for K-8 students. Enrollments accepted through Aug. 27. Will include live, synchronous learning (minimum of 70%) and independent learning.
Federal Way Public Schools
Start date: September 1
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: Families who wish to continue with 100% remote learning can enroll their student in Internet Academy.
Issaquah School District
Start date: August 31
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: The district chose to use its “limited staff and financial resources” to focus solely on in-person learning. Diverting or dividing resources to multiple learning models could “diminish our ability to offer the robust in-person experience desired,” according to the district. It is encouraging families looking at online programs to research Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction approved accredited programs.
Kent School District
Start date: August 26
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: A classroom will close and switch to remote learning for 10 days if two or more students or staff in the same room or area test positive for COVID; the cases have symptoms that start within 14 days of each other; a student or staff member has been in close contact with a person with a confirmed positive test result; the cases are not associated with one another in another setting.
Lake Washington School District
Start date: September 1
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: Offered for all students as part of a district-wide school program, with its own teachers, programs and systems of support. The initial enrollment period closed June 30. A waitlist is available to join the online option.
Students may return to in-person learning if remote learning is not a good fit or health and safety needs change.
Northshore School District
Start date: September 1
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: The Northshore Virtual Program is for K-12 students who choose to stay 100% remote for the 2021-22 school year. Registration closed Aug. 23. Interested families may join a waitlist.
Puyallup School District
Start date: September 2
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: Puyallup Online Academy is available for students in grades six through 12.
Seattle Public Schools
Start date: September 1
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: The Virtual Option Pilot Program is available for K-5 students, with prioritization for students with existing, documented health issues or concerns, including mental and emotional health.
The pilot program is not available for middle and high school students due to low enrollment.
Tacoma Public Schools
Start date: September 8
In-person learning: All schools will offer five full days of in-person instruction.
Remote learning: Available for K-12 students through the new Tacoma Online K-12 school. Students enrolled in Tacoma Online for the 2021-22 school year cannot transfer to another school until the end of the first semester.
Statewide COVID-19 policies
Mask policies
Face coverings or masks are required when indoors at K-12 facilities for everyone, regardless of vaccination status – with a few exceptions based on age, development or disability.
The same goes for passengers and drivers on school buses.
Face coverings or masks are not required outdoors. However, they are strongly recommended for unvaccinated people in crowded spaces or when in close contact with people from outside their household. Some school districts, such as Edmonds, are requiring masks be worn while outdoors as well. Throughout the day, teachers are asked to give students “mask free” time away from other people.
Outbreak response
Schools must have a response and communication plan in place that includes communication with school staff, families, the school district and the local health authority.
Schools are asked to be ready to instruct students who are excluded from school due to illness or quarantine.
Anyone within a school setting who reports COVID-like symptoms must be isolated from others and sent home. That person is to be referred to diagnostic testing.
An outbreak is considered when the following have been met:
- There are two or more 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
When school staff learn of a student or staff with COVID-19 or an outbreak of COVID-19 on the school grounds, a coordinator is asked to notify the school district and local health jurisdiction. Coordinators are asked to provide health jurisdictions information for all students or staff with COVID-19. Information will also be gathered about everyone who may have been in close contact with the person during their infectious period.
As Seattle Public Schools points out, there are no established metrics or thresholds in which the state would recommend returning to remote learning. However, some districts note a return to remote learning could occur for a classroom or school depending on the situation.
Physical distancing
The Department of Health recommends students maintain a physical distance of 3 feet or more in classrooms to the degree possible. Six feet of physical distance in common areas is standard with many school districts.
Cleaning and disinfecting
The Department of Health says schools should have infection control plans in place to reflect what is known about COVID-19. Frequently touched surfaces are recommended to be disinfected each night after students leave and when someone is sick in the room.
Testing
Schools must ensure access to timely diagnostic testing among students with symptoms or who are close contacts with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Testing can be done at school, a centralized site, or a community-based testing provider.