School, sports suspended for two weeks
ST. JOHN – Desks sit empty and the gymnasiums are silent as students in the St. John-Endicott School District stay home in quarantine.
The district closed the schools Oct. 1 and anticipates reopening Monday, Oct. 11.
The closure was due to a high rate of absent students and staff, officials said.
“There were days where we were reaching up to 30-40% (absent due to coronavirus concerns),” Superintendent Suzanne Schmick said. “It varied on any given day ... We are finding ourselves struggling.”
The state set a level for closing schools for COVID quarantine when 25% of students are impacted.
After consulting with Whitman County Public Health, the decision was made to return to remote education for 10 days.
“This was an extremely difficult decision to make,” Schmick said. “It’s a difficult thing that I don’t take lightly.”
A factor in the decision was the lack of substitutes to replace ill teachers.
The temporary closure affects students from preschool through12th-grade.
All sports activities and food programs are paused until the district reopens.
“I’ve got a bunch of disappointed kids that can’t practice or play,” St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse football Coach John Hergert said. “They are hard workers, but to take a week off is a setback.”
The Eagle’s next game is scheduled for Oct. 15.
“That’s why we take it carefully and consult with the health district,” Schmick said. “We’re just going to return good and strong.”
If students need any learning materials, they should contact their teachers or building principal.
“We will be evaluating the conditions during this time period, and with everyone’s help we will hope to avoid any extension of this timeline,” Schmick wrote in a letter to parents.
Bill Stevenson is a retired editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He had nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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