Pendleton K-5 return full time April 12
By Terry Murry on Thursday, April 1st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Elementary school students in Pendleton will return to full-time, in-person learning beginning Monday, April 12. Superintendent Chris Fritsch said students have been out of school for much too long, and the April 12 date will give them eight full weeks in the classroom.
“We felt like what we’ve been able to demonstrate is that we will be able to keep kids safe,” Fritsch said. “With the new guidelines around physical distancing, it just seemed like the right time.”
The K-5 school day will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fritsch said that the reduction in the physical distancing guideline from six to three feet has prompted the move.
He said that AM/PM hybrid learning will remain in effect for middle and high school students, at least for now.
“We’re still trying to determine that,” he said. “We understand that even though things have been relaxed a little bit it’s still a little problematic with the number of students and the size of the classes. We’re not really certain if we’ll be able to bring them back full time, but we’re still in the process of analyzing that and trying to determine that. If there’s a way we can figure out if there’s a way within the guidance we can figure out how to do it within the guidance, we’re going to take a shot at. The problem right now is that time is not our ally and that’s our challenge.”
