Updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners allows 3ft distancing in schools
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER CITY – (Release from the Baker School District) Yesterday, the Oregon Department of Education released updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance to align physical distancing rules with current research and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The updated guidance allows 3 feet of physical distancing for students in schools under certain conditions, which include county COVID-19 case rate levels for students in middle and high school, and includes the removal of the 35 sq ft per person requirement. Staff are still required to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing; and distancing must also remain at least 6 feet in other instances, such as when students are eating or when students from different classrooms are passing in hallways between periods. Both staff and students will still be required to wear masks.
With this updated guidance, Baker School District will be working on a plan to allow all its Grade 7-12 students to join Grade K-6 students in a return to full-time, in-person learning. The current goal is to return to full-time, in-person instruction at Baker 5J secondary schools by Monday, April 12. This timing will ensure that health protocols are in place to manage the greater number of students at the secondary level, while also creating a two week buffer from Spring Break and any increase in COVID-19 cases that might result from travel during the week-long vacation.
At this time, no changes are planned for Baker School District’s Grade K-6 schools, which are already offering full-time, in-person instruction to their students. Comprehensive Distant Learning and learning via Baker 5J virtual schools will also continue to be options for Baker 5J families.
Superintendent Witty has been working closely with key partners across the State, including the Governor’s office, to increase in-person learning for Grade 7-12 students; and yesterday’s news was very welcome.
“As community risk lowers via greater numbers of vaccinations, we need to rebalance and focus on the social, emotional, and academic needs of our students,” says Witty. “I am thrilled that we are now able to plan for our secondary students to have the opportunity to be back in school full-time before the end of this school year.”
About the Baker School District
Nationally recognized Baker School District 5J (BSD) is a major employer in Baker City, OR, serving 1,700 students locally with an additional 3,000 online students across the state of Oregon. Through enterprising, collaborative endeavors, BSD is creating an innovative educational foundation for future Oregonians. BSD believes strong school collaboration with local partners enables us to create vibrant communities that support lifelong learners.
