On January 26, Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) leadership announced their plan to bring kindergarten and first-grade students back to in-person learning with a hybrid model in March, but older students are still left wondering when they’ll see their schools in brick-and-mortar once again. While no date is set for secondary students, administrators are beginning to form unofficial re-entry plans for them and are carefully monitoring Marion County case metrics. Metrics must continue to drop for secondary students to re-enter in-person instruction.
In their January 19 re-opening metrics report, The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) advised that all counties wait to transition elementary students into hybrid learning until they drop below 350 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days. Additionally, they advised larger counties, like Marion County, to wait until COVID tests show up positive 10% of the time or less to begin the elementary transition. In the 14 days leading up to January 26, Marion County saw about 344 new cases per 100,000 and test positivity rates ranging between 6.4% and 12% with an average of 8.9%. Accordingly, SKPS outlined a plan to introduce elementary students back into school with two grades coming back each week of March.
Middle and high school students could re-enter in-person classes in spring, but this is largely dependent on case numbers. ODE advised large counties to begin hybrid classes for middle and high school students when they reach an average of less than 200 new cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period and obtain a test positivity rate of less than 10%. In the last 14 days, from January 26 to February 8, Marion County reported about 275 new cases per 100,000 and test positivity rates ranging from 4.4% to 10.3% with an average of 7.7%.
Marion County has reported a downward trend in cases since the second week of January, gradually decreasing from 176 cases on January 8 to 53 cases on February 9. This could be good news for students and educators eager to return to school, but caution is still warranted: Marion County has seen extreme spikes in cases after a period of progress, like the jump from 53 to 200 cases per day from October 31 to December 20. ODE advises that districts only regress in the re-opening process if schools show high transmission rates, and in the event of a spike in cases unrelated to schools, “Districts pause expansion of additional in-person learning and maintain access to in-person learning for those who have it.”
To transition into full-time on-site learning, ODE advised large counties to reach less than 50 cases per 100,000 over 14 days and a test positivity rate of 5%.
It is advises that districts gradually integrate each grade into the hybrid model, prioritizing younger students and keeping middle school and high school students primarily in “Comprehensive Distance Learning with Limited In-Person Instruction,” at first. They will use transmission rates in elementary schools to evaluate the risk that further integration may pose for higher grade levels and adjust accordingly.
During the transition, SKPS plans to maintain small class sizes and regular cleaning procedures, as well as, physical distancing and mask protocol for students. SKPS parents and students can find answers to frequently asked questions here and ask further questions via this form.
Although the specifics are still up in the air, administrators are growing hopeful. In their January 26 Return to School update, Salem-Keizer leaders said they hoped to expand “limited in-person supports for high school seniors, students with disabilities, and struggling students” and expand extracurricular activities during the 3rd quarter. They also said they hoped to potentially introduce”secondary blended learning, depending on operational constraints and COVID-19 guidance,” during the 4th quarter. SKPS plans to release more information on re-entry for secondary students in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, students can help ensure the downward trend in COVID-19 cases continues by following COVID-19 safety protocols.
