Salem-Keizer district schools are facing the possibility of temporary closures due to the Omicron variant. Schools in the area have had to close their doors at least temporarily in response to the Omicron Variant, is South Salem next?
It’s important to address that no schools in the Salem-Keizer district have had to return to CDL. However, Portland Public Schools [PPS] has experienced 4 instances of temporary distance learning so far. In the case of PPS, the final straw for the switch was major staff shortages. Despite these districts overseeing schools that are only hours away, the distinction matters. While PPS has already had to close schools, SKPS does not even have public plans or any mention of returning to comprehensive distance learning. If such a move was required, SKPS schools would not be prepared to immediately transition to CDL. This lack of preparation was seen in the District’s handling of events like snow and staff shortages due to illness with delays and non-school days rather than utilizing distance learning. This also applies to when Omicron first appeared and SKPS decided to employ precautionary measures rather than suggest alternatives to in-person learning.
These actions are also reflective of the answers SKPS has given regarding these topics. SKPS’s beginning of the school year FAQ mentions that “Salem-Keizer Public Schools is committed to the safe return to in-person instruction, five days a week for the 2021-22 school year. If cases begin to rise again in the community and impact schools, the district, in collaboration with the local public health authorities, will determine the appropriate health and safety measures to mitigate and manage outbreaks.”
This suggests that it is very unlikely that SSHS or any SKPS school will return to CDL during the year. Unless there is a major development in COVID-19 it is not going to make sense from the district’s perspective to deploy CDL, especially if just for a couple of weeks.
