Spokane-area school districts waiting for word from the state on shorter distances for students

Spokane-area school districts are waiting for a signal from state officials to determine how they will implement less stringent restrictions for separating students in their classrooms after new federal guidance came out Friday.

But it was clear students who aren’t in class full time won’t be heading to an all-day, every weekday schedule on Monday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Friday that the current guidelines for 6 feet of separation between students in the classroom be cut to 3 feet in most settings, a standard that some Eastern Washington districts recently advocated the state adopt.

Three feet of distance – along with wearing masks – would be safe in all levels of community transmission of COVID-19 for elementary schools, the agency said, and for all but a high level of transmission for middle and high schools, when those grades should go to 6 feet of distance if students can’t be kept in groups known as cohorts.

The CDC defines “high” levels of transmission as 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days. The Spokane Regional Health District tracks this rate every two weeks, and currently Spokane County has a case rate of 162 cases per 100,000 residents.

The new CDC recommendations also emphasize cohorting as a key strategy in middle and high schools, especially when transmission is high in communities.

“These updated recommendations provide the evidence-based roadmap to help schools reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruction,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a press release announcing the new guidelines.

The Freeman School District signed on to a letter last week to Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Department of Health urging a switch to the 3-foot rule, Superintendent Randy Russell said Friday, and hopes the new CDC guidance will lead the state to change its rules. It would mean all the district’s students in every grade could return for full days, compared to now, where students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 and high school seniors attend full days, and grades 7 through 11 are on hybrid schedules.

“We have not heard anything yet except they’re taking it under advisement,” Russell said.

An administrative team for the Mead School District met Friday “to talk about what if,” Superintendent Shawn Woodward said. “We’ve got some things to work out.”

Mead, which also signed the letter, currently has all kindergarten through Grade 5 students attending full days five days a week, while students from grades 6 through 12 attend for a full day twice a week. To accommodate current distancing guidelines, the district had to move some furniture out of classrooms that would have to be moved back, Woodward said. The 6-foot distancing would still be in place in cafeterias, which are already at capacity, he added.

The CDC recommends schools maintain 6 feet of distance between adults in the buildings, between adults and students, in common areas and when masks can’t be worn, such as while eating.

The district also needs to have some staff vaccinated, Woodward said. Still, it wants to get all students back “as quickly as possible” and could do that in a week or two after receiving new rules from the state, he said.

Other school districts were waiting on a signal from the state.

“Gov. Inslee has not announced any changes for Washington State schools regarding new CDC guidelines and in his most recent order regarding in-person learning, school districts must adhere to state and local requirements,” Central Valley Superintendent Ben Small said in an email to parents. “If distance requirements for in-person learning are updated by our state and local officials, we will keep you updated on changes you can anticipate in our schools.”

Mike Faulk, press secretary for Inslee, said the CDC guidelines are being reviewed and he did not anticipate an announcement on Friday.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction said the office is reviewing the new guidelines but there is no change to the current 6-foot guidance “at this immediate time.” Karen Conway, the executive assistant for communications, noted the differences in guidance between elementary and secondary schools, adding there was no change in the guidance for mandatory face coverings.

The state Department of Health released a statement that it would be reviewing the new guidance with Inslee, OSPI and local health districts to “continue our efforts to get students back safely to in-person instruction.”

On Monday, Spokane County will move to Phase 3 of the governor’s reopening plan, along with all counties in the state, which are now going to be evaluated on their own, not regionally, moving forward.

Phase 3 allows indoor spaces, like restaurants, gyms and movie theaters, to increase capacity to 50%. Outdoor sports guidance will also take effect, allowing some spectators at large sporting events.

In order to stay in Phase 3, Spokane County will need to keep case counts and hospitalizations low. Counties must have less than 200 cases per 100,000 residents very two weeks and less than five new hospitalizations per 100,000 in the last week in order to stay in Phase 3.

Currently, Spokane County is meeting both requirements.

Here’s a look at local numbersThe Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 81 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. Death data was unavailable due to data discrepancies the district is working on.

There are 49 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spokane.

The Panhandle Health District confirmed 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and no additional deaths.

There are 23 Panhandle residents hospitalized with the virus.