Reopening school in hybrid mode discussed

School district directors did not rush into a decision Monday to reopen Lake Roosevelt Schools sooner than the start of the second quarter, but students who need to will be able to start using the computer labs this week.

The Grand Coulee Dam School District board of directors held a Zoom meeting Sept. 28 that included a discussion on reopening school to a hybrid model of distance learning and classroom learning, in which some students would be in the school on Mondays and Tuesdays and others would come in on Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays would be a deep cleaning day. 

The board previously chose to consider that model for the second quarter, which starts Nov. 9, but not to consider it on a monthly basis, which would make it hard for teachers and families to plan.

But a low COVID-19 incidence rate in Okanogan County, where the school is located, had Superintendent Paul Turner thinking they may be able to move to the hybrid model sooner than later.

Board Chairman George LaPlace questioned that logic, pointing out that although the school itself is in Okanogan County, much of the student body is from other counties. The board needs data from those counties to make an informed decision, he said.

"My fear is that although the cases are lower, it may totally change before the first quarter is done," LaPlace said. "I'd hate to be going one step forward, two steps back." 

With the data on how many students are from which counties, and on the risks in those counties, LaPlace said, they may then be able to calculate a "weighted average" for what the local risk is.

"Covid doesn't care about your county borders," LaPlace said, "it's just looking for a human host."

A standard set by health officers from Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan, and Kittitas counties back in August requires fewer than 75 cases per 100,000 population for two consecutive weeks in order to reopen schools with a hybrid approach. That's more lenient than the state requirement of fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 for a county to move forward a phase in the state's Safe Start recovery plan.

As of Sept. 28, Okanogan County had an incidence rate of 25.7 COVID cases per 100,000.

Grant County, on the other hand, had a rate of 308.9 per 100,000 population as of Sept. 27.

Lincoln County, which was well under that 25 requirement just a week ago, now has an incidence rate of 73, caused by only eight cases in the past two weeks.

Douglas County's rate was 126.6 as of Sept. 29. 

Turner said he would provide the requested data to the board for their next meeting Oct. 12.

That meeting and another one Oct. 26 will give the board an opportunity to assess the  district direction as they enter the second quarter on Nov. 9.

Computer labs open

An  update from Turner and a Facebook post from staff last week said that beginning Oct. 1, because Okanogan County was at about 18 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population, meeting county requirements to open the school further, students who need access or a connecting device will be able to take advantage of the school's computer labs.

The four labs in the high school and one lab in the elementary school can accommodate 50 students total at a time, Turner's update said.

"Students will have access to computers and Internet, however this IS NOT tutoring or help from a teacher," the staff post explains. 

Students, required to wear masks and have their temperature taken before entering the school, will have to maintain social distancing while in the computer lab. 

The post says that the plan is for students to access the computer labs for half a day per week, which may increase to two half days per week, depending on how many students participate. 

Those without internet or a device should call the school at 509-633-1442 about accessing the labs.

More information on reopening the school and the current state of school can be found in a recent Star story at https://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2020/09/23/news/superintendent-school-is-nuts-right-now/13448.html