Aberdeen School District moves online for all class levels
August 24, 2020 4:27PM PDT
In an announcement to Aberdeen School District staff on Monday, Superintendent Dr. Alicia Henderson announced that all in-person schooling planned for the start of this academic year has been moved online.
Henderson cited the recent spike in new COVID-19 cases in Grays Harbor County, saying that “The amount of local transmission (“community spread”) is a key metric in Washington for determining how much in-person instruction can be offered in schools.”
The metric cited was provided by Governor Inslee and is the number of new cases per 100,000 people within a 2 week period.
Due to the number of local cases, it has changed the district’s COVID-19 risk status from “moderate” (25 to 75 new cases) to “high” (more than 75 new cases).
Henderson says that because of this, the district is now in Stage 1, Level 2 of their Reopening Plan – which means that they are unable to offer any in-person options for instruction.
“A great amount of planning and preparation has gone into our anticipated in-person options for PreK – 3 and special education students. These plans will continue to develop as we look forward to a decrease in community spread and a return to Stage 2, Level 3.”
The district will begin the school year in a 100% distance only format, consistent with Stage 1, Level 2.
Henderson states that “We will be monitoring the local transmission rates regularly, and will provide at least a week’s notice before any change in the format.”
