Cheney schools continue reopening plans

CHENEY — School district re-opening plans for in-person instruction continued this week with a phased return of third-grade students beginning on Tuesday.

Third-grade students from families electing to return to in-person instruction were to return in two different groups on different days, with students in Group A in class Jan. 19 and Jan. 21 and students in Group B back Jan. 20 and Jan. 22. Both groups will combine as all third-grade students return to in-person instruction Jan. 25.

Also that day, fourth and fifth-grade students are scheduled to begin a slow hybrid phase-in return to onsite instruction. The two groups will alternate a Monday/Thursday schedule where Group A is in remote learning while Group B is onsite, with Group A then being onsite and Group B engaged in remote learning Tuesday/Friday. Wednesdays will be used for student asynchronous learning schedules, teacher consultations and teacher preparation.

Middle and high school students are scheduled for a slow hybrid phase-in beginning Monday, Feb. 8. The phase-in will also involve separating students into four groups following a schedule of one day a week in-person instruction with four days of remote learning.

Phase 2 of this approach could see the combination of groups into two cohorts and students returning to campuses two days a week beginning March 8. If regional health metrics are met, and COVID-19 response teams are appropriately staffed and able to handle contact tracing, full in-person instruction — still adhering to social distancing and sanitization protocols for students and staff in classrooms and other spaces — five days a week could resume as early as April 5.

According to information at the district’s school board meeting Jan. 14, high school class size for in-person instruction will be limited to seven students per class in order to comply with social distancing requirements and other COVID-19 health and safety protocols. For full in-person instruction to occur five days a week, Superintendent Rob Roettger said some of the state-established COVID-19 protocols would need to change.

“I don’t see those health and safety protocols changing any time soon,” he added.

The district is facing several challenges to its reopening plans besides having enough space. One of particular concern for officials is transportation.

Requirements to maintain physical distancing of six feet between students extends to buses as well. It’s led to a situation where buses are now running at 50% capacity, often transporting just 22 students on routes where 45-50 were carried under normal circumstances.

“By reducing the number of students on each bus, we are attempting to limit COVID-19 transmission as well as quarantine and isolation situations,” Roettger wrote in a letter to the community.

Compounding this is the district that encompasses over 380 square miles and is one of the largest in the state is operating with 15 fewer bus drivers than a year ago. Part of this stems factors associated with the pandemic, leading the district to ask parents who are able to do so to make arrangements to transport their students to school.

Roettger stressed this is only a request.

“While we are facing challenges, we will do our very best to transport every child who qualifies for transportation,” he added.

The district is asking anyone who may want to become a bus driver, who anyone who knows of a qualified candidate, to call the transportation department at 509-559-4523.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].