RSSL guidance will not allow LGSD to significantly change its current operations
By Paul Hall on Thursday, March 18th, 2021 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
LA GRANDE – (A Letter sent to Parents from the La Grande School District, regarding Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance) Due to the La Grande School District currently operating at the maximum allowable capacity under the Oregon Department of Education’s Ready Schools, Safe Learners (RSSL) guidance, the March 15, 2021 update to RSSL guidance will not allow LGSD to significantly change its current operations.
Governor Brown’s recent Executive Order 21-06 required the RSSL guidance to be updated to allow more schools to provide in-person instruction by April 19, 2021. The update to the RSSL guidance includes:
● Simplified metrics that prioritize Hybrid or On-Site instruction as the primary instructional model for K-12 public schools (unless extreme rates of community transmission of COVID-19 make Comprehensive Distance Learning necessary). The La Grande School District currently provides the maximum allowable in-person instruction with its Grades K-5 in stable cohorts and Grades 6-12 in Hybrid learning.
● Revised cohorting requirements and recommendations for cohort design. These include removing the 100 person maximum limit in cohort design. Six foot physical distancing and the one person/35 square feet rules are still a requirement, thus keeping our capacity at the status quo.
● Adjusted entry screening requirements and recommendations. All schools must continue to provide on-site entry screening for elementary students, while middle and high school students can meet the screening requirements from home. This will not be a noticeable change to our LHS and LMS students At this time the adjustments are helpful to our operations, however, the updates do not significantly change the programs and services LGSD currently offers. The following remain the same:
● Six foot physical distancing
● Face shields, face coverings, and barriers are still required, though clarification of the “face covering break” is provided
● Contact tracing still considers people within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more as close contacts
LGSD meets all requirements of the executive order and is not yet allowed to open the LHS and LMS buildings to allow all grade 6-12 students to learn in-person each day.
There may be one more RSSL updates that take place in this school year. Should the 6 feet physical distancing standard change to 3 feet and should the 1 person for every 35 square feet rule change or be removed, LGSD will stand ready to further collaborate, communicate, seek input from parents, students, staff , etc. to plan our next steps with the goal of bringing back more grades 6-12 students on a consistent basis.
