MOSSYROCK, Wash. — A week since Mossyrock students returned to the classroom, the district has reverted to remote learning after a student got coronavirus.
The student attended one of the district’s three schools early last week before testing positive for COVID-19.
District officials said they hoped to resume in-person instruction next Tuesday, which will be two weeks after the student was last on campus.
Mossyrock’s school board voted to offer students two options for instruction this fall: a hybrid option, with students coming into classrooms twice a week, with online instruction two days a week, or 100% online instruction.
Superintendent Dr. Glenn Monroe said the district has taken several steps to ensure students are safe on campus.
He said he’s eager to have them return.
"We just have some students here that we know need to be here,” said Monroe. “Our staff is willing and supporting of serving those students, especially since we have all the precautions in place that we do to make it safe to staff and students.”
Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Rachel Wood recommended districts only have kindergarteners and some lab and technical students return to campus in the fall.
Wood said she did not want to order school boards what to do, she wanted them to come up with their own plans based on an individual district’s needs or concerns.
She did not object to Mossyrock’s decision to hold in-person instruction, despite her recommendation.
"I can give people advice about taking their blood pressure medicine even when they feel fine,” said Wood, “And they can make a choice whether they take their blood pressure medicine.”
Wood said she and other health officials are working on new recommendations for schools which could be released by the end of the month.